Hyperdimension Kagura
by Not Puchiko Broccoli Nyu
Summary: As the enemies of the CPUs close in, Marvy uncovers the secret of an item called the Maker Sphere. Meanwhile strange monsters begin appearing in Japan, prompting the local shinobi schools to take action. Hyperdimension Neptunia and Senran Kagura clash in a fun crossover. Rights belong to Tamsoft/Marvelous/IF/CH. Update 2.2 adds new prologue prior to chapter 1
1. HDK Prologue: Marvelous Ninja

Prologue: Marvelous Ninjers

The warm, Gamindustri sun peered through the bedroom dorm of a bright, orange haired girl. Getting up out of bed, she combed the tangles out of her hair all except for a natural cowlick which curled into a letter M on the top of her head. Picking out her favorite, off white and black school uniform from the closet, Marvelous AQL, or Marvy as most called her, squeezed the outfit around her top-heavy balloons.

"Oh, why must you always be such a pain?" buttoning one button, it just barely exposed her stomach and jiggle physics before leading down to her black skirt. "There we go." Marvy smiled as she began to put on the rest of her academy clothes, including her long shoes and a pair of cuffs to match her outfit.

"Now where did I put my ribbon?" Marvy then began to scour her room, searching for the red ribbon she always wore around her neck, partially to keep her shirt in check. "Oh. I swear I always keep my ribbon on my desk! Where could I have put it?" Opening the drawer of her nightstand, Marvy noticed the familiar red ribbon inside.

"Oh! There you are, you naughty goose! Now what were you doing in there?" Marvy said picking it up, almost ready to put it around her neck when her eyes caught a glimpse of a notebook which the ribbon had sat on. Picking the book up slowly, her bright music-noted eyes beginning to turn a shade of sadness as she read the cover. "Sen Kag. By; Marvelous AQL, Tamsoft, X-Sha, Cri, Honey. A Takaki Academy production." The names Tamsoft and Cri crossed out.

Marvy's eyes then drifted to her two blades on the wall. While she carried them almost daily, the swords did not originally belong to Marvy, as they were once the blades of her fallen comrades. the girls whose names had been crossed on the notebook out now pierced her heart harder than the swords she carried thousands of times. "Never… stop smiling…" Marvy looked down as those words rang in her ear.

A sudden knock at her door broke her trance as the adorable loli-like voice of Honey, one of her fellow students called out, "Marvy! Marvy! We have an emergency!"

Quickly putting the notebook back in her nightstand, Marvy walked up and opened the door to a short but rather voluptuous girl with a purple ponytail. "Honey! What's wrong!?"

"Come on! We gotta hurry. The Maker Sphere has been stolen!" Honey frantically exclaimed. Shortly thereafter, Marvy quickly followed her classmate Honey into the main ninja room, which was decorated with shurikens, kunai, and yoroi attire among other things. At a miniature sushi bar sat a tall girl with flowing, long red hair and a figure possibly more enhanced than Marvy or even Lady Green Heart.

"How did it happen, X-Sha?! Who stole it!?" Marvy cried

"Whoa, slow down there. Let's take it one at a time." X-Sha said through gentle, white eyes. One of Marvy's oldest friends, X-Sha was cool and collected, a seasoned shinobi even compared to Marvy. "Now. I'm almost positive I know who did it. A short, blonde girl came late last night, simply asking for shelter. Honey, of course decided to let her in and even share a late-night meal with her."

"I'm sorry!" Honey dropped her head, pouting. Walking over, X-Sha rubbed her shoulder, consoling her. Marvy then asked what happened, Honey picking up from where X left off. "She… seemed harmless enough. Like she just wanted to get out of the rain. I felt pity on her. So, I heated us both up some soup since I was on night duty and needed some energy. After that I slowly got drowsy and the next thing I know… I wake up to a messy table to find X-Sha scolding me."

"It seems the girl slipped some Sunflowery Powder into Honey's soup while she wasn't looking." X-Sha continued. "Somehow she managed to sneak past our security system. Or rather, I woke up to find that it had been disabled by a hacker of sorts."

"You're sure!?" Marvy's eyes widened.

"That's the only explanation we could link it to, as the intel shinobi tell me that the systems had all gone haywire when they awoke. But scouts say that the girl left from town about 1a.m. (1) heading in the direction slightly east-northeast. And there can only be two areas in that direction she could have gone." X-Sha said.

Marvy nodded, "Mm! the Atari Marsh and Donkong Ruins. But something's bothering me… What would anyone want with the Maker Sphere? We don't even know what it does since we haven't talked about it since… since the… incident." Marvy choked on her words, her voice cracking as she thought back to her long-fallen comrades.

Honey and X-Sha exchanged somber glances before X leaned back smiling sympathetically at Marvelous. "Hey. You did the best you could, Marvy. They knew what had to be done. All we can do is keep smiling for them."

"For WHAT!? Getting some kind of weird, circular gem that we virtually know nothing about was worth losing our friends?! LET THAT THEIF RUN OFF WITH IT FOR ALL I CARE!" Marvy's eyes watered.

Honey gasped before nearly shedding a few tears herself. "M-marvy!"

Marvy then began crying into X-Sha's bosom. "I miss them, X-Sha!"

X-Sha hugged Marvy gently, "We all do, Marvy. We all do. Sometimes I think the same, wanting to throw that stupid sphere into the furnace. But… maybe this whole thing is our fault. For we should have-…"

A sudden knock at the door came before a masked, female ninja of a lower class approached. X-Sha turned around, glaring at the shinobi. "I thought the sign said 'do not disturb until further notice'. Now, I don't smell smoke and I don't hear screams of death, so get out."

"A-a-actually, miss X-Sha, I bring a message! You weren't answering the communicator, so I came up in person." the shinobi timidly backed away.

"Because we're busy. Tell them they'll have to wait. We're in the middle of something important!" X-Sha snapped.

"UH! Th-that would be a… terrible idea, miss X-Sha!" the shinobi began sweatdropping through her mask.

"Who is so damn important that they've the nerve to interrupt the elites of Takaki Academy? Lady White Heart?!" X-Sha's hands were now on her hips.

"A-actually miss X-Sha… Yes. Our divine Lady of Lowee." The ninja responded.

"Lady Blanc?" Marvy mumbled.

X-Sha's eyes grew exponentially before sweatdropping. "Well, that changes everything. Um, good job, shinobi. Sorry for bein' difficult."

"Oh, don't worry, miss X-Sha. We're used to your mood swings by now." The shinobi girl said, X-Sha now forming an annoyed frown. "I mean-… um… hehe. Lady White Heart is on Line 1!"

As the grunt ran off, X-Sha, Marvy, and Honey quickly ran over to pick up the video receiver to see Blanc on the other end. "Lady Blanc." Marvy closed her hands together, bowing briefly before X-Sha and Honey did the same.

"Marvy. It's been a while. And to you too, X-Sha, Honey." Blanc said at the other end.

"To what honor has our Lady White Heart contacted us?" X-Sha asked.

"I am calling upon the services of Takaki Academy for espionage. A situation has arisen and I want to request Marvy to check it out." Blanc stated.

"What kind of situation?" Honey asked.

"An old friend of mine dropped in for an unexpected visit, chasing some criminals. Not long after her arrival, rumors have reported strange lights going off around Donkong Ruins. Flashes of red, green, and yellow. Unfortunately, I've been too busy myself to verify such rumors myself, and until I can get a confirmation, I've more important things to attend to now. Besides, Marvy's one of the best in her field." Blanc smiled.

Marvy nodded, "With honor and happiness, my Lady. It is Takaki Academy's duty to serve Lowee."

"So, you'll do it, then?" Blanc asked.

"Absolutely." X-Sha replied. "How could we turn our Lady down?"

"Wonderful. As expected of Takaki Academy. Can you leave within the next few hours?"

"Certainly, Lady Blanc!" Marvy perked up, smiling. "I'll get ready as soon as we're off the phone with you." After a little more back and forth, Blanc hung up, leaving the three elites to continue their conversation.

"Well, this couldn't have turned out better if I planned it." X-Sha said.

"Do you think there's a correlation between what's happening at the ruins and the thief who took the Maker Sphere?" Marvy asked.

"It's possible" X-Sha said.

"Actually. I think it's quite probable." Honey added. "With the dress that girl was wearing, I don't think she'd wanna go through the swampy Atari Marshes. Plus, the place is crawling with monsters. At Donkong Ruins, she'd be able to hide better though."

"Yes. And the Marshlands would leave her more vulnerable!" Marvy sent her fist into her hand. "It makes perfect sense."

"I'm kinda jealous that Lady White Heart requested you like that, Marvy. You're so lucky." Honey smiled.

"Well… I do it all for Lowee." Marvy grinned back.

"Marvy. Honey." X-Sha turned to her teammates. "I owe you both an apology. The incident traumatized us so that we just locked away any traces of it. When we should have been looking into what this Maker Sphere actually does. I have failed you both as your senior and your friend."

"No, X. We're all guilty of that." Honey protested.

"Right. Me especially. In fact, just today I discovered one of our old projects. Do you remember the book we were writing together, X-Sha? Honey?" Marvy tried to grin.

"Ah, good old Sen Kag. The one about those super sexy ninjers and their nauseating knockers? How could I forget." X-Sha smirked, walking up to Marvy as she lightly groped her friend's coconuts from underneath.

"Ah! X! it's no wonder we made the busty blonde after you!" Marvy smirked.

"Well maybe if you didn't dress so naughty, I could resist more." X replied.

"I-it's just cooler and easier to move in. We're at the southern border of Lowee ya know." Marvy pouted.

"Uh huuuuhhh. Suuuuure." X-Sha grinned as Marvy pushed her off.

"Yikes. X-Sha, more like XXX-Sha." Honey's eyes whitened nervously.

X-Sha let out a sigh. "You and Tammy were always so cute when you acted out like that. So, what happened to it? The story…"

"We… never finished. After we lost Tammy and Cri… it just… fell to the sidelines." Marvy's eyes began to drift before she turned back to her classmates. "But X is right. The best we can do is move forward and keep smiling. And… hopefully learn from our mistakes."

"That's right, Marvy." Honey said.

"Better get going then, Marvy." X-Sha said, "You've a goddess to impress." Marvy nodded, preparing to head out on her mission for her lady, her land, her friends, and herself.

* * *

Rain battered the balcony of Hanzo National Academy. Just inside, Ikaruga sat in silence, her eyes staring coldly at the table, drained of any life. Katsuragi, Murakumo, and Yomi stood beside her, with the rest of the team, Asuka, Yagyu, and Hibari, being close by. Yomi gently placed a hand over her friend's shoulder, saying "Even if they don't understand, I am sure a one-day delay shall not be a huge issue. It is only human for us to need time to mourn."

"Really, Yomi. I am fine. I'll be ready in ten." Ikaruga stood up slowly, beginning to walk towards the balcony door, but Yomi's hand still gripped onto her shoulder with pleading eyes.

"Just please. Don't be afraid to be open with us. We want to help as best we can." Yomi said. Ikaruga gave a light smile and nod, Yomi then letting her hand limply slide off Ikaruga's shoulder as the latter headed towards the balcony.

"I don't know how she does it. Losing her father and being handed responsibility of the family business only a year after her douchebag brother runs away?" Katsuragi commented.

"Katsu-ne!" Asuka folded her arms.

"What? From what I heard, the guy always had a grudge against Ikaruga just cause he wasn't a good shinobi." Katsuragi shrugged, "Still, to go through all of that and keep her cool. It's impressive. She's one of the most marvelous ninjas I've ever known."

"She's dealt with loss. And now has the pressure of losing even more now that the business has passed down to her. She has to keep her cool." Came the deep voice of Murakumo from under her mask.

"Ooh, but it's not good for her!" Yomi sent her fist into her palm, "I swear, us Japanese don't know how to be more expressive and it's not good for us!"

"You're just outgoing, Yomi." Murakumo commented. But as Murakumo and Yomi began a back and forth debate which got the attention of the other Hanzo girls, Hibari slipped past them all, onto the balcony where Ikaruga's arms leaned onto the handrail.

Without even exchanging eye contact, Hibari joined Ikaruga, looking outwards to the misty haze of rain which reflected the Asakusa district of Tokyo. After a moment of silence, Ikaruga spoke the words, "I just wish I had spent more time with him."

Still not making eye contact, Hibari continued the conversation with her eyes fixed on the rainy Japanese city. "I felt the same way about a year ago. When they told me, my littlest brother took his own life." Ikaruga inquired more, saying that she thought Hibari was the youngest. Hibari shook her head, "The family never really recognized Suraku much, because unlike me, he didn't want to be a shinobi so much that he often refused. He tried pleasing the family in other ways, but they always turned him down. Since I inherited Kagan and my training intensified, I barely saw him anymore. I regret that I didn't."

"I guess it's the price we pay as shinobi." Ikaruga muttered.

Hibari then turned to look at her senior, "Shinobi or not, we all experience loss sometime. We just have to stay strong… For those we lose and those we still have." Ikaruga turned to look at Hibari, who continued. "And you're very strong, Ikaruga. Not just in body, but also mind. I know you'll do great things with Yomi and Murakumo at the redevelopment project."

Ikaruga gave a light smile, "I'll certainly try my best." Ikaruga then felt a strange pulse within her heart, as she made brief eye contact with a stranger below, who's cloaked hood revealed only brown bangs and orange-gold eyes.

"What is it?" Hibari asked, but Ikaruga shrugged it off, saying she was probably imagining things.


	2. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Sages Syndicate Alliance

The goddess Purple Heart, or as she was better known as Neptune, walked into the living room of her Basilicom. In her favorite casual parka hoodie, she plopped down on the couch with a cup of pudding, yawning and shaking her head of scruffy, lilac-colored hair which was adorned with D-pad clips. "Whew. Time for some gaming after a hard day's working."

Neptune nearly switched the power button of her Planeptune Jupiter on when a very petite, blonde girl with long, purple robes and wings floated on a book over towards her. "If by working, you mean moving your butt from the bedroom to the kitchen, enough to make a pudding and then onto the couch, then I question your authenticity as a goddess."

Neptune sweatdropped at first, trying to smile, "I mean, yeah. It's still work, right? But let's not sweat the small stuff, Histy."

"I agree, Neptune." Histoire said in her usual calm demeanor, making Neptune sigh in relief, but not a second later, Histoire went full circle. "WHICH IS WHY I AM SWEATING OVER THE BIG STUFF!"

"Yikes. Histy are you… pissty?" Neptune's eyes whitened in cartoonish shock.

"What does it look like, Neptune?! Day by day I put up with your insolent laziness! Whether I have gotten used to the little things or merely desensitized by them is one thing, but when you extend that laziness to the big things like keeping your fellow CPUs waiting then I START TO LOSE! MY! COOL!" Histoire floated in front of Neptune and yanked on her cheeks with the last three words, continuing to hold onto the little goddess's face. "I spent nearly 15 minutes trying to get you to wake up! I tried knocking, shouting, even saying 'game service' in hopes that you'd sleepwalk over to the door!"

"Wait… why didn't the soundtrack change?" Neptune asked. Histy raised an eyebrow, uttering a confused noise as she let go of Nep's face. "You know, the soundtrack always changes to _'Mini Car'_ every time someone has a tantrum."

"First off, that won't work! We are in a work of fan fiction, Neptune. The readers can't hear music from a document! Second, don't change the subject on me! Are you even listening?!" Neptune's eyes wandered to which Histoire folded her little arms, a shade of darkness befalling her eyes. "Very well, if you don't call Blanc back within 5 minutes, I'm going to vaporize your pudding!"

Neptune pulled the cup of pudding closer to her chest, her eyes widening as she nervously sweatdropped. "Wh-whoa! Hey now! Leave the pudding out of this. What did it ever do to you?"

"Exactly what I intend it to do. Get you to cooperate!" Histy then stood up on her book, pointing angrily. "Now get your butt on the computer to call Blanc! And no games!" When Neptune asked what Blanc wanted, Histy folded her arms with a huff before storming out, saying "You'll just have to find out yourself!"

Nep raised a concerned eyebrow as Histoire floated away. _Histy seemed more upset than usual. I better get to calling Blanc._ Neptune quickly jumped onto the video chat, making her call to the Lowee goddess with a lively smile, "Helloooo, Blanny Blanny Bii!"

A little sigh escaped Blanc's lips as she closed her eyes indifferently. "Well you're chipper as ever, Neptune. I should have known you'd kept me waiting. I told Histoire how important it was that we speak."

"Well, I'm here now, so let's not sweat the small stuff and tell me already." Nep smiled.

"This is hardly small stuff, but very well. See, recently I got an unexpected visit from an old friend of ours."

"OOH! Was it a puffy, pink ball from outer space who came in on a shooting star with an appetite for destruction?" Neptune smiled.

"What have you been playing?" Before Neptune could answer, Blanc continued, "No! I don't wanna know. And no, SHE wasn't. Now if you'll allow me to continue-…"

"Neeppyyyy" a familiar blue-haired girl with a braided ponytail called out, before swinging her arms wildly, losing her balance with a yell as she fell into Blanc.

"What the hell, Plutia!?" Blanc yelled, to which the girl lackadaisically apologized.

"Well I'll be an old Sega reference! What are you doin' here, Plutie?! How are P-ko and the others doing?" Neptune grinned, excited. Plutia gave a confused 'uuhh', bemused eyes drifting off into space as she placed a single finger on her chin.

"I was just getting to that." Blanc stated "She isn't entirely sure how she got here. Rather she said she was fighting… er… who were they again?"

"Oh yeeeaaah…" Plutia smiled "Ya see….. I was tracking those bunch of dummies from… who were they again?" Plutia's eyes wandered skyward as Blanc facepalmed.

"Yep. That's our little Plutie for ya. It's a wonder she shares the name with the farthest planet in the solar system." Nep sweatdropped.

Blanc sighed, "Don't be silly Neptune. The Milky Way doesn't exist here. Anyways, the group she was combating was one you had fought before in Ultradimension. Something like… the Seven Mages or something?"

Plutia piped up, "Ooohh yeeeaahhh. I was tracking down the Seven Sages, as they seem to be up to their old no goodies again. But then… something happened…" Neptune leaned in towards the screen as Blanc gave Plutia a 'go on' kind of look. "Well… I don't remember exactly. According to Blanc, I was in HDD form when I fell through here. Then I passed out and changed back."

"Thank goodness." Blanc and Neptune mumbled.

"Huuuh? Did you say something, guys?" Plutie asked

Blanc quickly changed the topic. "U-um! Yes, since her arrival, Plutia's been rather weak. She slept for near a day."

"Yyyup!... I've been really sleepy. But I'm feelin' better every moment." Plutia smiled brightly in her usual Plutie way.

"That's right, Blanc." Nep grinned "Don't tell me you don't spend entire days sleeping. A girl needs her beauty sleep after all."

"Afraid not, because unlike a certain Planeptune CPU, I have lots of work to attend to. But let's get back to the topic at hand." Blanc stated plainly. Nep scratched her head, unsure of which Planeptune CPU she meant. "There's more than just Plutie's arrival that is at hand. Rumors around Lowee have been popping up that suspicious activity has been occurring in the area of Donkong Ruins, which began spawning shortly after Plutia arrived here."

"What sort of suspicious activity?" Neptune asked.

"Liiiiiiiiiiiggghhhts." Plutia's eyes whitened as she raised both her hands, much to Neptune's bemusement.

"Let me explain." Blanc stated. "Strange lights and monstrous noises of which the Loweean citizens have never heard have been coming from Donkong Ruins. So I've sent Marvelous AQL to scout ahead."

"Ya sendin' out Marvy?! Why not check it out yourself?" Neptune's eyes widened in surprise.

"Marvy's the best in her field. Hand-picked from Lowee's Takaki Academy. Until we can get confirmation on whether this is actually a threat or not, I have too much work to do here in the Basilicom. You know, running a country, having twin sisters, stuff like that."

Plutia nodded "I'd go myself, but I was still too weak at the time. Even now, If I transform, I'm sure to get tired."

"You don't worry yourself on these matters, Plutie." Nep chuckled nervously "You just take your time and get well! We'll handle things from here, right Blanc?"

"Who's this 'we' you're talkin' about, Neptune? I thought someone needed their beauty sleep." Blanc stared with unamused eyes at Neptune.

"Hey. I may like to sleep, but that doesn't mean I can't do my goddess things too!" Nep perked up. "Do the others know about this?"

"That only goes to show how little you pay attention. I was in a call with the others while Histoire said you were busy sleeping. I even sent you a G-Mail about it." Blanc replied.

"That's our Neppy." Plutia giggled. Neptune grumbled.

"I mean it, Neptune. Make sure you're on alert until Marvy comes back. If anything out of the ordinary happens, contact us, alright?" Blanc said.

Nep finished up with Blanc and Plutia, but for the rest of the day an uneasy feeling broiled within her about the uncertainty of recent events.

* * *

Amidst the stone and moss-covered ruins of Donkong, a flash of wind was all that could be heard in silence of the shadows. MarvelousAQL, Lowee's resident Ninja, moved swiftly through the old ruins, leaping between the rocks and crevices. _This is strange. Why is the place cleared out of monsters? I haven't had to engage in a single fight so far._ Marvy leapt over a stone gate and crouched behind a rock when she heard faint voices. She began a slow crawl, discovering a convenient hole underneath a mound of rock, to which she could listen in closer as she spotted a group of people including an old businessman, a short but hot-tempered girl, a couple of large robots and a fellow in pink armor.

"Tricksty, are you sure that you can keep Judge under control? His requests at sparring have turned into threats as of late and you know I'm not that kind of man." The pink armored man said in a rather feminine voice.

"Like yeah!" The short girl stated. "If my life is gonna be on the line, I am out of here!"

"You'll do no such thing!" The large, yellow machine named Trick replied "CFW Magic has her ways if Judge gets out of hand. Or am I gonna have to give you a lickin', Abnes cutie?"

"Don't you dare touch me!" Abnes snapped, "I'm only here because you promised it was this plan that would remove the CPUs from power! Now where is Magic?! If this turns out to be a waste of my time, I'll be pissed!"

"Indeed. If this investment is a waste, I will pull out." The old businessman grumbled.

A tall, more muscular robot named Braved stepped forward. "Patience, companions. You all signed onto this alliance through bond oaths. Break them and ASIC will hunt you down."

"Like hell you would!" The old businessman retorted. "Your precious ASIC would be but a speck of dust without the investments of the Sages! Don't make us regret this."

Marvy's eyes widened in fearful anticipation. _The Seven Sages… AND ASIC? This is bad. I thought we either destroyed them or they disbanded!_

The yellow, metallic lizard hopped his stubby body forward towards the old businessman. "Need I remind you, Mr. Badd; who came to ASIC when Lastation's military general nearly sent them to the Gamindustri Graveyard? So don't make me laugh with talk of 'investments'. The plan will proceed. These yoma, particularly the Ayakashi, have the ability to cross-breed with Gamindustri monsters! A recipe for the ultimate army." Trick laughed, smacking a giant cage full of monsters. Perturbed, Abnes took a couple steps back.

Marvy gasped. _So that's where all the monsters went? I almost feel bad for those poor things. _Retreating to the little cove of rocks, Marvy began typing in a number on her wrist, Marvy then spoke into her headset. "This is MarvelousAQL, come in Blanc! The news went from code blue to red! ASIC has survived somehow! What's more is they've teamed up with the Seven Sages. They're planning some kind of weird monster crossbreeding! Warn the other nations and-… wait… AH!"

Marvy's headset fell from her as a laser beam nearly struck her. "I Thought my sensors were picking up something!" the pink armored fellow said. "Allow me to introduce myself! I am Anonydeath. Might we have yours, little spy?"

"You may call me vanished!" Marvy said reaching for smoke bombs.

"I don't think so. Licky, licky!"came the voice of Trick. Marvy yelped as she felt a gigantic tongue come out and envelope her. "Eh, it just isn't the same when she's all big and busty like this."

"URGH! Let me go!" Marvy cried. "We know you're here now!"

A woman clad in black, spiked armor and an eyepatch came forth. "A spy, now?" I'm afraid we can't have your friends coming here now. But… would they risk doing anything if they knew your life was on the line?"

"Magic! We need to have a talk! About this Sphere thing you had me collect." Abnes demanded.

"Wait your turn, Abnes, we have a guest to attend to." Magic's tone made Abnes back up and stay quiet.

"We aren't actually going to harm her, are we Magic dear?" Anonydeath asked.

"Of course, not… as long as she and the other CPUs cooperate." CFW Magic said, twirling her purple side ponytail with one arm.

"I will never tell you anything. It doesn't matter what kind of torture you put me through!" Marvy's voice echoed resolutely.

"Tough talk for someone who's about to take a beating." Magic stated, drawing her scythe. "Let us see what your CPU friends think once they see you broken."

"I WON'T ALLOW IT!" came a deep, feminine voice. Suddenly Marvy felt the grip of the huge tongue releasing her as CFW Trick screamed in pain. A hand reached out, helping her up. "A ninja letting herself get snuck up on? You're getting' rusty, Marvy."

Marvy looked up to see a girl with a long, blue-haired ponytail sporting a loose blue and white jacket with a blue miniskirt and a giant blade in her hands. "Tamsoft!? You're still alive!"

"Hell yeah, I am! It takes more than being a minor character to keep me down!" Tamsoft turned her attention to ASIC and the Sages. "I don't know who you are, but anyone who hurts my friend is the enemy!"

By now, the other members of the combined alliance had arrived. Magic's brow furrowed in irritation. "How rude of you to interrupt us without introduction. And you may refer to us as the SSA, the Sages Syndicate Alliance. Let it be the last name YOU REMEMBER!"

Marvy looked up, a small tear beginning to form. Her heart exploding with an emotional storm which cancelled itself out into a blank stare. "T-Tammy? After all this time…"

"We'll talk later! Come on, Marvy! Let's get the hell out of here!" Tamsoft said, grabbing her arm.

"Oh, you awre goig to pay for dat, you lille wresh! Lirally! You owe ee a ew togue!" Trick slurred on his words as he pointed to the tongue that lay on the ground.

Marvy began running with Tamsoft as fast as they could out of the ruins, the SSA not far behind them. While Tamsoft and Marvelous were fast, the enemy had become accustomed to the ruins. Almost reaching the exit, the stone wall to their right began moving as a giant black and green robot with skulls decorating him came out, blocking their way.

"You're not getting out of this so easily!" the robot named Judge swung his halberd menacingly.

"Heh. So you think." Tamsoft smirked, drawing her sword. "Hope you like gettin' burned, ya oversized toaster! Cause I'm about to turn up the heat!"

"Rather cocky for a little girl!" Judge said. Blades clashed as Marvy and Tamsoft struck with all their might, but Judge managed to push them back.

"Be careful, Tammy! This one's strong!" Marvy shouted.

"Hehe! I can see that. But so am I!" Tamsoft grinned, dashing towards Judge, executing short warping black bursts to dodge his mace swinging down before jumping up in front of him to summon a dark pair of astral swords.

Marvy quickly rushed into action, engaging Judge alongside Tamsoft. But as Judge's powerful blows shook the ground, Marvy and Tammy were too quick, jumping all around climbing on his arms, making the big bot punch himself. But as Tamsoft soon got Judge's attention, out of the corner of Marvy's eye she saw Mr. Badd charging up an energy blast from his mech. _I won't lose her again! _"TAMMYYY!" Marvy leapt in front of the combatants, taking a full paralysis blast, tearing up her outfit and exposing her slender thighs and bouncy beachballs.

"Marvelous!" Tamsoft shouted, but then took a full slap from Judge's 5-foot (1.5m) hand. Struggling to her knees as quickly as she could, she crawled over to Marvy, who's body sparked with paralysis. "You dummy! Why did you do that?!"

"T-… Tam…" through the paralysis, Marvy could barely speak, weakly reaching up and placing her hand on Tamsoft's arm. Just then, Tamsoft found weapons pointed at her face.

"On your feet!" CFW Magic commanded, to which Tammy reluctantly complied. "Good girl." Magic smugly said, when a blow to the back of the head blackened Tamsoft's vision.


	3. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Dogoo Blues

On a Japanese park bench by a light post, three girls sat around waiting. The one with a long brown ponytail, tied up in a white ribbon, frantically paced back and forth with folded arms, as though trying to hold back her E Cups from bursting through her T-shirt. "You're pacing, Homura. What's the matter?" the other girl named Hikage asked in a monotone way, as she leaned comfortably against the bench, snug in her deep red sweater.

"It's been nearly a day since we've heard from Haruka. Two if you count our departure. And now she's already 10 minutes late!" Homura grumbled.

Mirai, easily the most distinguishable of the three with her petite build and her rectangular eyepatch continued browsing through a manga magazine as she replied, "Diplomacy missions are a delicate matter. Besides, if we sent Yomi, she'd go off on one of her anti-aristocracy rants and ruin the whole thing for us."

"I just can't shake the feeling, Mirai! What if something's gone wrong or will go wrong? Especially with the team split up like this." Homura stopped to look at her teammate.

"Wouldn't be the first for us. This is why I wanted the squad to invest in a cell plan." Mirai said, still languorously browsing through her catalog.

"Convincing the Tokyo governor to hire us to fight off the Yoma is important for our income and the people. Haruka's the best one suited for diplomacy. I just kinda scare everyone with my robot face." Hikage's tone dropped ever-so-slightly on her last words.

"Hikage!" Mirai looked up, putting down her magazine. "Don't be like that, your face is fine. And… did I detect sadness from you?"

Hikage gave a confused head tilt, her bright green strands of hair tilting to the side. "Nope. At least, I don't think so. What's to be sad about?"

"No! You totally sounded kind of down with that tone!" Mirai said.

"I was? So, I'm doing it then? Learning more emotions?" Hikage asked, curiosity filling her yellow eyes. As Homura and Mirai began encouraging Hikage, the three soon delved off into small talk until a familiar figure approached. One foot in front of the other, the voluptuous woman, whose light brown hair curled at the sides, swayed one side to the other as if in sync with her hips.

"Well, well, Haruka. Care to tell us why you're so late?" Homura said, staring into her teammate's green eyes.

"Diplomacy missions are delicate matters, Homura." Haruka said, to which Mirai smirked at Homura. "Through a few persuasive actions, I was able to convince the Tokyo governor to pay us ¥5,500,000 for clearing the yoma from the city."

"EEH!? 5,500,000?! Just who did ya sleep with to get that deal!?" shock popped from Mirai's eye sockets.

"Hehe. The governor's son, of course." Haruka giggled in a sultry tone.

"I regret asking." Mirai's voice awkwardly trailed off.

"Why does that sort of thing not surprise me?" Hikage shrugged.

"Regardless of her… methods… the important thing is that now we have the go to strike! Shinobi transformation!" Homura's basic jeans and t-shirt melted from her body, her privates sparkling in light as a short black dress with a grey jacket and minicape now adorned her body. Haruka, Hikage, and Mirai also transformed, donning their respective shinobi outfits. "Crimson Squad, move out!" Homura drew her blades, excitement lining her voice.

Between Homura's blades, Hikage's knives, Mirai's gun, and whatever chemical vials and robotic devices Haruka could bring, the four Crimson Squad ninjas mowed through lesser yoma like skulls, spiders, and tree spirits and even had coordinative teamwork enough to strike down greater yoma.

Homura brought down her blades on an unsuspecting yoma when suddenly, the yoma vanished with a bloody cloud, causing her to clash against another set of blades. Looking up with a start, Homura recognized a high-school aged girl with a short, brown, ponytail, vanilla-colored school sweater and plaid-green skirt. "hmph. Figures you'd be here, Asuka."

"Homura!? You're here as well?!" Asuka said wide-eyed.

"You think I'd miss the chance to earn over five million yen?" Homura said with a grin. "Bein' a renegade is hard, and money is everything. So, make sure ya stay out of our way."

"You should know me well enough by now to know that's not gonna happen, Homura." Homura smiled. _Heh, she's right. Asuka's stubbornness is what drives her. But I am just as stubborn if not more!_

"Then I guess I'll just have to start killing more yoma than you! That money's ours, Asuka!" Homura jumped away, proceeding to attack another yoma.

But no sooner had Homura struck another yoma, did Asuka follow up right behind her. "Come on, don't be so cranky, Homura! We're not here to take your money. In fact, I hope your team gets paid accordingly!"

"Eh? So… you're not sell-swording it too?" Homura then leaned up against Asuka's back as the two fended off a couple of larger yoma which tried to come at them from both angles. Grabbing onto each other's hands, the two performed a swirling spin attack of red and green, finishing the yoma before turning around to each other.

"I know it isn't easy for renegades. So please, take the money. I just want to protect our home!" Asuka said with sincerity, looking into Homura's eyes.

"Heh. Well, aren't you all heart, Asuka." Homura smiled before winking, "But I'm still gonna kill more yoma than you!"

"Now that I can NOT let you get away with!" Asuka grinned, jumping towards more enemies.

As Haruka's robot finished dicing up another set of yoma, she recognized a distinct cute voice calling out to her, where she saw Hibari finishing a yoma with a headbutt while Yagyu was not too far behind.

"Ah. It's good to see you, my dear Hibari. And… to you to, Yagyu." Haruka smiled

"I've got my eye on you, Haruka." Yagyu glared.

"Sure, of course, dear. But two eyes are always better than one." Haruka teased, patting her right eye with her hand. Yagyu's lips curled up, irked, as she held her eye patch. "I notice you're about one member short."

"As are you." Yagyu replied.

"Ikaruga went off with Yomi and Murakumo a few days back to help out with a restoration project in the slums." Hibari said.

"Ah yes. Yomi couldn't hold her excitement IIIINN!" Haruka yelped as she felt something sticky moving up the side of her calf. Haruka looked down to see a blue, jelly-looking creature with a dog like face trying to crawl up her leg.

"Ah! Off with you, filth!" Haruka kicked the strange goo creature off her leg.

"Haruka! Why'd you do that!? It looked so cute!" Hibari pouted.

"Hibari… that was gross." Yagyu face palmed, "Although I didn't detect any yoma energy from it."

Suddenly, Hibari shrieked as several more of the blue jelly dogs leapt from the nearby rubble of a car, latching onto her. "Are they so cute now, Hibari?" Haruka gave her a look of disapproval.

"AAAH! Just get'em off meeeeee!" Hibari began rolling around and flailing wildly on the ground. "That's not nice mr. goo dog thingies. You shouldn't go there!"

"Hold still, Hibari! I'll save you!" Yagyu shouted.

"Yagyu's right. There's no yoma aura coming off of them." Haruka then turned just in time to receive a headbutt from a strange pink, cat creature, knocking her back quite a bit. Several more cat creatures, several yoma, and a ghostly looking shell creature approached down the streets as Haruka stood up.

As the yoma and cat creatures sauntered closer, Homura showed up beside her friend. "Haruka! What are these things?"

"I'm not sure, but they're allies with the yoma! Best to fight first, ask questions later! Hibari. Yagyu. You all ready?" Haruka asked.

"We kinda have our hands full, here!" Hibari shouted as she knocked another blue goo dog off of her wrist.

"Quite literally, I'd say. Alright. Let's go, Haruka!" Homura said.

"Right behind you!" Haruka then proceeded to follow Homura, who sliced up the much faster yoma in a wild zigzag pattern. The cat creatures, who seemed to have a particular liking to Haruka's outfit, tried to leap upon her. Commanding her robot like a spinning rotor, she battered them away before they could reach her.

Homura dashed up to the strange shell creature. Like a dangling Christmas ornament, its circular body floated in the air in between a set of floating claws. A pair of gleaming, off-yellow eyes peered from its dark blue shell, which it ducked back into as Homura tried to strike. Homura attacked relentlessly, slash after slash until finally the shell creature slapped away her blades, headbutting Homura backwards. "Haruka! I can't penetrate it!"

"I guess you'll just have to thrust harder then." Haruka smirked, causing Homura to facepalm. Haruka ran forward towards the monster with a determined glare. "Then if you won't open up. We'll just have to break you!" Haruka then ran her bot's chainsaw against the shell creature until it's guard shattered. "Homura! Now! Penetrate it harder~!" Haruka moaned exaggeratedly.

"Shut up!" Homura dashed forward, slicing the shell creature apart. Once finished, she folded her arms with a huff. "Really, Haruka? The middle of combat and you make innuendo."

"There are many times and places for these sorts of things, Homura. The battlefield is just one of them." Haruka gave off a smug wink, as did her robot.

Homura rolled her eyes. By now, Yagyu and Hibari had finished the goo dog creatures. "This looks bad. They just keep coming." Hibari looked on as more of the foreign monsters gathered alongside the yoma.

"Oh my~." Haruka smirked, daintily putting her hand over her lips when Homura elbowed her in the gut. "Hey! I didn't say it!"

"But you sure as hell implied it!" an annoyed vein popped on Homura's head.

The four Crimson girls and the four Hanzo girls soon found themselves back to back as the new creatures accompanying the yoma caught the shinobi off guard. "Sooo, nobody knows what these things are?" Mirai asked.

"Beats me. New yoma?" Asuka said as she held out her swords.

"Doesn't matter what they are! All that matters is they're goin down!" said a busty blonde, who cracked her knuckles, smirking confidently. Wearing an open shirt uniform and armored boots, Katsuragi was Hanzo Academy's brawler and resident pervert.

"Good thinking, Katsuragi. Like Haruka said; Fight first, ask Questions later. Let's DO THIS, LADIES!" Homura shouted. The group of eight Shinobi fought hard, with Katsuragi, Yagyu, and Hikage punching a hole through the encirclement. Katsu then performed a flying axe kick into the next enemy, where she bounced off it. Before the three girls was a large metallic looking lizard, who's tiny wings shouldn't have supported its chubby body.

Armed with an axe and shield, the creature brought its weapon down. Hikage, Katsu, and Yagyu began rushing around, but Kat was the only one who seemed to make it flinch, as Hikage and Yagyu's strikes bounced off the armor. "Hikage! Yagyu! Distract it while I unleash my Ultimate!" Katsu called, but Yagyu soon found herself battling another yoma. As Yagyu told them to go without her, Hikage then began circling the lizard, when it managed to pin her against the wall with its shield, Hikage doing all she could to hold back it's crushing strength.

"I'm coming, Hikage!" Katsuragi shouted, readying her ninja art when several blue goo dogs leapt upon her "GYAH! Now you've done it, I'mma turn your little jelly asses into pudding!" Before Katsuragi could react, a yoma came over, attempting to stab her with a sword. Grabbing onto her attacker's wrists, she held back an opponent that she could normally overpower, but the goo dogs weighing down on her prevented any further movement.

As Yagyu held back her foe, she realized they had been closed off from their allies, as enemies on all sides kept the rest of the group at a distance. Suddenly, a riled voice rang out "LOOK AT ME WHEN YOU DIE, ASSHOLE!" followed by the shot of a rifle, killing Yagyu's foe on the spot.

The yoma and their new allies turned towards the direction of the newcomers to get a mouthful of secret ninja arts from the Hebijo girls, who freed the others. The area lit up with lightning and darkness as Imu and Murasaki threw electric twisters and balls of energy. Yagyu used the opportunity to strike at the lizard's head, allowing Hikage to slip under it's grasp. Hikage quickly ran to where Katsuragi was, stabbing her foe in the back, allowing Katsu to counter.

The lizard roared at them when Ryobi, the girl who took the first shot called out, "HEY! Dumbass! Your fight's with me! Ricochet Prelude!" Katsu gasped as a set of mines appeared right behind the lizard creature, to which the three girls jumped back as Ryobi's bullet made contact with the mines, finishing the monster.

As the area cleared, a girl with short-blonde hair and a ballerina dress happily cried out. "Aw, where'd they all go? Yoo hoo, I know all you nasty monsters wanna ravage me. So, come and get me, heheheheee."

"What the hell, Ryona! You keep that up and I'll beat your ass!" Ryobi snapped at her sister.

"Ooooh~. I'm sorry Ryobi, but I just read some very lewd monster doujinshi last week and I've been dying to try it out for myself. AAH. My body is getting all tingly just thinking about it." Ryona grinned shamelessly as Ryobi kicked her rear.

"Our heroes." Mirai's tone dripped dryly with sarcasm.

"Wait!" Homura cried out as the last of the monsters disappeared through a sinister looking portal. "Come back! That's our bounty money!"

Haruka placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, "Now now, Homura dear. The important thing is that we've cleared the Shinjuku district of yoma. I doubt the governor would go back on their promises after that. Let us take a moment to breathe."

Homura sighed, "Fine. I just don't want a repeat of that rip-off." The girls then began to talk amongst themselves for a bit, catching up.

"Imu. That was great timing on your part. Shall I get you some boxer shorts?" Hikage tried to say with a smile.

"What the hell was that!? Your attempt at sarcasm after someone just saves your life!? Better watch yourself, Hikage, the next time those creatures come around I might just accidentally hit you!" Imu turned her head, flushed.

"Oh… was it not funny?" Hikage tilted her head.

"Watch and learn, Hikage. This is how ya thank someone!" Katsuragi smiled, walking closer to a confused Imu. "Oh, my hero! You saved us! Let me show my deepest gratitude by destressing your bubbly bajongas!" Imu began to shriek as Katsuragi groped her.

"Ha, ha, ha. That looks fun, Katsuragi. I wanna try." Hikage said with a slight smile, until Imu slapped Katsu upside the head.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING! NOBODY BUT MIYABI GETS TO DO THAT!" Imu gasped red, her eyes whitening, hoping that Miyabi didn't hear.

"Just what were those things?" Asuka wondered. "They didn't feel like yoma."

"Nuuuu! They felt icky!" Hibari cried.

"Awww, you shoulda saved some of 'em for meee~." Ryona exaggeratedly whined.

"Hm. None of you know either." Miyabi said. "Pity. We were tracking this very unusual creature. A giant wolf with blades on it's feet."

"The thing didn't flinch when I shot it! Next time I see it, I'm unloading an entire clip into it's sorry anus!" Ryobi's eyes flared in frustration.

"We've seen a lot of weird shit today, but no giant wolf." Homura spun her head, cracking her neck.

Miyabi folded her arms. "Homura! There is a matter I need to speak to you on. Alone."

"M-miyabi?! We know what it is, so it concerns all of us!" Imu stated.

"Yes, but since I'm the only one who could handle it, that makes it personal." Miyabi said, before turning to the other Hanzo and Crimson girls. "That goes for the rest of you too!"

"Homura. Are you sure about this?" Hikage asked.

"I'll be fine. What's the worst she could do? Attack me?" Homura smiled confidently as she followed Miyabi behind a partially destroyed building into an alleyway.


	4. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Dimension Tripper

'No Signal' read from Blanc's communicator as she set down the headset. "So, it begins." Blanc then looked over to her twin sisters, Rom and Ram, who were playing on a dual handheld/TV Console known as the Lowee Swap. "Rom, Ram. We're going on a mission. I'm going to need your help with it, so go wake Plutia and get ready."

The twins nodded, but then proceeded to hide behind a wall, eavesdropping as Blanc made an emergency call out to Noire, Vert, and Neptune's phones. "Whoa! It's not usually like you to use the emergency call, Blanc. What's up?" Nep asked.

"Yes, did Marvy find something?" Noire added.

"Yes. Marvy has made contact. Please, bring your sisters and any of the Makers you can and meet me at Donkong Ruins as fast as possible. The Seven Sages and ASIC have not only returned but joined forces. We'll need all the help we can get."

The stones of Donkong ruins left a cold and desolate feeling that dripped down Tamsoft's back, as she saw a barely conscious Marvy to her side, both of them chair bound. "Look, we have already been through this, Oracles! Call off your goddesses or your friends continue to get hurt!" Magic said to an electronic screen. On the other side was Histoire, Kei and Ganache, Mina and Financier, and Chika and Yvoire.

"You do realize that this stuff takes time, Miss Magic." Mina replied. "Histoire is sending out the message as we speak."

"You said that about 5 minutes ago!" Magic pointed to Judge and Copypaste who respectively punched Marvy in the stomach and pulled Tamsoft's arms and hair back hard.

Financier cried out to them, Ganache adjusted his glasses, trying to remain calm. "You seem like a reasonable woman, Miss Magic. Perhaps we can come to an agreement. The more harm comes to your hostages, the slower we can be in calling off the CPUs."

"Yeah, you keep on harming them and we WILL raid your hideout, you hideous ho!" Chika exclaimed, Kei facepalming.

"Get real!" Magic declared, "We'll be the ones making the demands. And if any those CPU bitches show their faces here, these two die!" Copypaste then held a blade to their necks.

Kei turned to the others. "This is getting bad. We can't stall any longer, Histoire. We have to call them off."

"I am of a mind with the Lastation Oracle." Yvoire said. "Magic is not someone you want to cross."

"To think, Tamsoft was thought dead for so long, only for both her and Marvelous to end up in death's grasp once more. Is there truly no other way!?" Financier shook, holding her hands to her chest.

"I hate to agree in this situation, but we cannot risk their lives." Histy spoke, turning back to the screen. "I believe we almost have a connection with them. Another minute or so, please!"

"You have two minutes!" Magic shouted.

Anonydeath stared CFW Magic down, "You said we weren't going to hurt them! Not like this!"

"We do what we need to. If it bothers you, feel free to walk away or would you rather join their session?" Magic's threatening tone, silenced Anonydeath, who frustratedly left the scene along with Abnes and Mr. Badd.

Tamsoft looked over towards Marvy, who softly whimpered as tears squeezed from her eyes. "It's going to be alright, Marvy."

"No… no it's not." Marvy whimpered. "I took… a vow… the day I lost you and Cri… to honor your last wish… and keep on smiling. But now. I can't." Marvy's lips quivered, barely able to move from the paralysis.

"You dolt!" Tamsoft exclaimed before letting out a sigh, "Oh, Marvelous. I didn't mean that literally! I… didn't suspect it'd impact you so. This is all my fault, Marvy."

"Time's up, Oracles." Magic declared.

"N-no wait! They haven't picked up! We'll try again!" Kei's voice shook.

"Your time is up. Maybe one of their spilt blood will help you connect faster the next time." Magic pointed to Copypaste, who extended his sharpened claws.

"No, please! Surely we can come to some kind of agreement!?" Mina pleaded.

"We already tried that; you lost your chance!" Magic shouted, raising her arm, signaling to Copypaste.

"Wait!" with closed eyes, Marvy struggled to arch her neck as she shouted, "Do what you want with me, but let Tammy go!"

"On the contrary. You started this little spy mission, what better way to end it than to break you in both body and spirit?" Magic replied. Marvy began bawling in protest when Copypaste yelped as something shot him in the face. Tammy's eyes shot up, darting around the ruins as much as her restrained body would let her.

"What's is going on!? Show yourself!" Magic demanded. Marvy then saw the CPUs and their sisters in HDD form along with several makers. Uni holding her at rifle at Copypaste's head.

"Uh? The… CPUs? Took your time here, didn't ya?" Tamsoft groaned.

"Hey Tammy. You know we gotta fulfill the 'heroes get saved at the last-minute cliché'" Purple Heart grinned lightly.

Blanc, the goddess White Heart, uttered a soft, but surprised tone. "Tamsoft? But we thought you were dead."

"Oh Blanny Blanny Bii. What are extra lives for?" Purple Heart smiled.

"Video games, Neptune. Video games." White Heart sighed before pointing at the enemy. "And you! You're under arrest for kidnapping, torture, intrusion on Lowee grounds, and suspicious activity." White Heart floated forward. By now, the other members of the Sages Syndicate Alliance had gathered.

"Breaking, entering, and being vague with your arrest. Might wanna rethink that logic, your brain age is showing, hon." Anonydeath wagged his finger at them.

"I don't understand! We should have heard fighting! What did you do to CFW Brave?!" Magic demanded.

"He's down for a nap. I made sure of that." Uni replied.

"Hmph. How pitiful. I thought I had reprogrammed him, but I guess power of friendship plot devices trump all. The fool probably tried to play it fair." Magic complained, "But any of you so much as move a muscle and these two die, got it?"

"We figured as much." Noire, also known as Black Heart, replied before looking Blanc's direction. "White Heart. As we discussed." Blanc nodded, motioning for Rom and Ram to come forward.

"Oh, Mr. Trick." Rom called out.

"Hellooo! Did you miss us?" Ram said.

"OOOOOHHH! There're my little cutie pies! Come here to papa!" Trick tried squeezing through the rest of his allies, squishing them as he shoved.

"Hey! Mind where ya shove that thing, Tricko." Anonydeath exclaimed. But as Trick caused a domino effect among his allies, Noire and Blanc quickly dashed over, grabbing the chairs holding Marvy and Tamsoft.

"Horraaayyy. We successfully rescued." Plutia replied, who was still in her human form.

"Quick! She needs Paralaxin or something!" Tamsoft grunted, nodding towards a barely conscious Marvy. White Heart quickly gave Marvy an Anti-Paralysis health potion and Tamsoft, a healing pod, while IF, one of Neptune's oldest friends cut them loose.

Purple Heart turned to the SSA, who was scolding trick, "You! This doesn't follow the canon. You shouldn't even know each other and some of you should be dead! What? When? How? Why?"

"Does this look like a round of 20 questions?!" Mr. Badd growled.

"Wait! I've got the perfect solution!" Abnes shouted, squeezing her way to the front of the group with a crew of cameramen.

"Not that meanie again." Plutia whined.

"Shut it! Now reel!" Abnes then turned towards the main camera, pointing towards the CPUs "This just in, The CPUs of Gamindustri have shown their true colors, harassing innocent and unarmed civilians after they refused to answer their questions, they beat these poor girls half to death!" She dramatically pointed at Marvy and Tamsoft.

"Don't listen to them, people of Gamindustri!" Tamsoft said, now healthy.

"What the-… How did you!? Er, now the goddesses resort to such cruel tactics as brainwashing! Oh, the humanity!" steam practically rose from Abnes' head.

"What!? How dare you try to spin this the other way around!" White Heart growled.

"If you don't keep quiet... I'm gonna get angry." Plutie folded her arms, eyes and lips scrunching in irritation.

"Ah ha! You see!? Their anger only proves that they are guilty!" Abnes cried.

"Objection!" Purple Heart shouted, pointing dramatically.

"Seriously, Neptune? You're playing right into her trap!" Black Heart complained.

"I couldn't resist, Noire. The opportunity was gold." A sigh of affirmation left Purple Heart's mouth.

"And you too, Blanc. Plutia." Black Heart turned to the others "If you keep this up, you're going to make us look bad-… uh?" Noire's eyes popped and Abnes stopped as she looked down to see Broccoli tugging at her dress.

"Aaaaawwww, you poor, precious thing. Do you want to be saved from those mean goddesses? Don't worry, Abnes is here." Abnes leaned down, only to get her hand smacked away.

"You're not very popular, nyu. Your video stream is barely making 200k views, nyu." Broccoli's unamused face only proved to fluster Abnes even further, but Broccoli continued. "I should also mention that about ¾ of those views are just people downvoting and leaving derogatory comments, nyu. Your ratings are in the toilet, so your broadcast means nothing, nyu."

"You… you… you, you…"Abnes then broke into tears.

Anonydeath proceeded to hug her. "There there honey, I know. It's very impolite to expose people like that."

"Wow, Puchiko is brutal as ever." Green Heart mentioned.

"Indeed. Miss Pu-ko's tongue slices sharper than my blades." Cave, a Leanbox maker and old friend of Vert, remarked.

"IT'S BROCCOLI, NOT PUCHIKO, NYU!" Anger and cuteness was a strange blend that Broccoli was a master of.

"Enough of this! Let us just destroy them and be DONE WITH IT!" Judge boomed.

"I'm with Judge! I need somethin' to thrash!" Copypaste added.

"You really think you wanna face me after I've beaten multiple of you before?" Magic smirked.

"Poor plot development and lack of shares will not help you this time, Magic." Purple Heart replied. "It's time for a super smash bash!"

"So… I can transform now, right?" Plutie grinned and before anyone could answer, Plutia transformed, her figure taking on that of the dark blue, long-haired sadist. "Hehehe. Double the baddies means double the spankings."

"Oh, not her again!" Mr. Badd and Warechu simultaneously screamed, chills running up their spines.

"Wow, she's so cool!" Tekken, one of the makers, bit her lip, a shiver going up her spine.

"Um… are you alright, Tek?" Cyberconnect2, another maker, sweatdropped. "The rest of us are chilled to the bone but you look… turned on."

"Huh?! O-oh, it's nothing! Really!" Tekken gulped.

"Cut the chatter already! Let's get em!" White Heart shouted. The battle erupted with the goddesses and makers on one side and the Sages Syndicate on the other.

* * *

After getting knocked about by Iris Heart, a mouse named Warechu snuck around the battle, deeper into the cave. Climbing up on a machine that was built into the side of the cave, he overlooked a pit with an iron door on it that read 'Danger. Open at your own risk.' Warechu then began pushing buttons on the machine, which brought over a cage holding golems and another with Deus Old Men. Warechu gulped, opening the panel to a lever surrounded by black and yellow caution tape.

"What are ya doin, Rat?!" came the voice of Linda, a pointy-eared, grey-skinned underling with short green hair and a grey hoodie. "The boss said we're not to touch that without CFW Magic's permission!"

"We're getting our asses handed to us out there, chu! Or does your underling status prevent you from seeing the obvious?" Warechu snapped back.

"Hey! Enough of that underling crap! I have a name, you know." Linda barked.

"And so do I, chu! And clearly Magic can't hold them all back forever!"

"Ha! We still got the big guys out there!" Linda smiled, until Copypaste's creaming voice could be heard, followed by a crash, to which Linda gave a nervous smile.

"Ya see! Now we clearly can't wait for Magic!" Warechu reached for the lever, when Marvy and Tamsoft appeared.

"Alright criminals, hand over the Maker Sphere!" Marvy pointed aggressively.

"Hand over?! What the hell are you broads talkin' about?" Linda's furrowed brow made her confusion obvious. "Even if we had something you wanted, why would we hand it over?!"

"I don't care what their demands are, chu! I am not gonna spend my entire life in jail or die trying!" Warechu pushed a button and then yanked the giant lever, the iron door slowly opening.

"NO!" Linda jumped Warechu but it was too late. Marvy and Tamsoft watched as the cages of monsters lowered into the pit, where a chilling roar could be heard.

"Quick! The Maker Sphere has to be around here somewhere! Help me look, Tammy!" Marvy exclaimed, quickly darting around the cave room.

"Marvy, that's not important now!" Tamsoft pointed, the cage of monsters rising. The golems, giving off an eerie red glow from their blackened crystals while the Deus old men, revealing sharp teeth and burning open eyes with a devilish looking new UFO around their waste.

"A ninja never forgets her mission!" Marvy called back when the monsters broke free from the cage. All chaos erupted, the monsters proceeding to attack not only Marvelous and Tamsoft, but also Warechu and Linda. Holding Tamsoft's hand, Marvy pushed her legs to the limit as she felt the chills of the looming monsters.

The four ran into a retreating SSA. "What did you do!?" cried Mr. Badd from his mech.

A battered CFW Magic looked back, as a roar of the monsters neared. "WHAT!? She told you fools not to touch that until I gave orders to!" the Monsters flooded in, sending Abnes and Anonydeath flying and knocking Falcom, Cave, and Cyberconnect2 back.

"I'm going to kill the idiots who released those! Cutie pies or not, I am not sticking around to be torn apart by those freaks! OUT OF MY WAY!" Trick cried, pushing his way through. With the rest of the SSA retreating deeper into the ruins, the monsters turned their attention to the girls.

"Stay behind us!" Purple heart held out her arms in protection at the Makers. "These things have clearly achieved something beyond Viral."

"Dammit! Marvy and Tamsoft took off after SSA!" IF pointed in the direction of SSA.

"Then go after them, my dear Iffy. Us CPUs will take it from here!" Iris Heart said.

"That… doesn't sound as endearing coming from you, but right! No time to waste! Let's go, girls!" Iffy shouted, rallying the makers.

"Right! Gotta save our Ninja Wifeys!" Red chimed in, following after the rest of the makers while the CPUs and their sisters turned towards the dark, powered-up monsters.

As the SSA retreated, Linda caught up to Magic, asking "Miss Magic. One of those broads was demanding to 'hand over' some kinda maker sphere or something. What was she talking about?"

Silence followed as Magic's face scrunched up a little bit before responding, "Just keep moving and fast!" the Sages Syndicate moved further until a barrage of exploding ninja stars landed just ahead of them. Marvy ran up, her blades shone as they were drawn from their sheathes.

"Give back the Sphere! I know you took it!" Marvy cried.

"Why do you want it so bad? What does that thing even do?" Abnes put her hands on her hips.

"Magic, hon. Is there something you're hiding from us?" Anonydeath and several other turned towards CFW Magic.

"Abnes? What is she hiding?! Why didn't YOU tell us sooner?!" Copypaste looked down threateningly

"I don't know! I was just told to retrieve that shit for her! I wanted to ask about it myself, but just maaayybe... I forgot all about it with the whole GODDESS INVASION!" Abnes steamed.

Magic grunted, ignoring her comrades before turning to Marvy "Doesn't matter. You can't have it!"

"Then if words won't get to you, we'll let our blades do the talking!" Tamsoft said, pointing her sword their direction.

"Two against Nine? You really think you can take on us all?" Judge scoffed.

"Maybe not. But what about 12 of us!?" Iffy called out.

"Damn it! The Makers! Can't we catch a break, chu?!" Warechu complained.

"Go, Tamsoft; Marvelous. To your final battle and embrace thy destiny. We shall hold the other felons off!" MAGES. said dramatically.

"I'd hope it's not my final battle, but thanks anyways." Marvy sweatdropped before Tamsoft and she engaged Magic. Between their numbers and the worn out SSA, the makers were quite evenly matched against their opponents. Red and Cyberconnect2 were able to trip Judge who gave them some trouble as MAGES. and 5pb put on a rather obnoxious but effective display of magic sound waves, damaging Mr. Badd's mech. Broccoli sent laser beams down on Trick while scolding him for his pervy antics.

At one point, Anonydeath and Linda sent Iffy to the ground. "Oh, now you've done it! FLAME AWAKENING!" IF exclaimed, a burst of flaring light suddenly emitting from her body. As a flame-texture adorned her leggings her eyes turned red and her hair became a flaming blonde. "Alright you bastards, you're goin' STRAIGHT TO HELL!"

"Whoa, Iffy's lost literally lost her cool! I hope she doesn't burn up." Compa's eyes widened in fright, but it soon turned to curiosity.

"But… if she did, would she drop a special weapon that allows other people to use that power?" Cybercon wondered.

"Quit talkin' like Neptune!" IF yelled, to which Compa and Cyberconnect2 simultaneously responded with a 'yipes'.

Marvy and Tamsoft continued to battle against CFW Magic. Once Magic managed to disarm her, Marvy sent a headbutt straight into Magic's stomach. Knocking her down, Magic dropped a strange, circular metal sphere that housed 4 oranges gems parallel to each other, an engraved letter M on top and bottom and a peculiar glowing light inside which glimmered in Marvy's eyes. It bounced a few times, before rolling to a stop.

"The Sphere!" Marvy and Magic shouted at the same time. While Marvy and Magic leapt for it at the same time, IF performed a bashing tackle, knocking Magic out of the way, Iffy's hands touching the sphere at the same time as Marvy. The light from the Maker Sphere grew exponentially, drowning all in a bright flash.


	5. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Seeds of Doubt

Following Miyabi into the alley, Homura's eyes darted around for potential escape routes with a crumbled building on one side and a tall wooden gate that made the alleyway a dead end. Keeping her distance from Miyabi, she folded her arms, staring her down. "So what is it?"

"The Super Secret Ninja Art Scroll. Where is it?" Miyabi demanded.

"Hmph. What makes you think I have it?" Homura placed one hand on her hip now keeping her eyes on Miyabi.

"Hebijo's scroll conveniently went missing the last time we decided to team up during that government mission, Homura. Strange, wouldn't you say?" Miyabi slanted her eyes Homura's direction.

"That just shows Hebijo needs to keep better track of their things." Homura said with a mild smirk, "Anyways, I don't have it."

"That's a lie if I ever heard one." Miyabi gritted her teeth, reaching for her sword hilt. "You know the scrolls intensify the power of those strong enough to read them. And since you renegades aren't from a school, what better way to increase your chances of survival than to steal someone else's? I'm not going to ask again, Homura."

"I almost wish I did have the damn scroll. So, I could give you a reason to draw that blade." Homura shot a passive-aggressive smirk back Miyabi's way.

"Give me a reason to think otherwise."

"Because… I. Don't. Have it." Immediately after the words left Homura's mouth, Miyabi and Homura drew their blades in a split second. The air between the two intensified, both girls at the top of their game, knowing the other was equally as dangerous.

"Hmph. They always said you were a stubborn dog, Homura. Preferring to go your own way as opposed to-…" Miyabi suddenly stopped, eyes frantically turning towards the wooden gate.

"I sense it too!" Homura exclaimed, also looking towards the gate. Suddenly a giant wolf with blade-like claws smashed through, sending fragments of wood the girls' direction. "I think I found your wolf." Homura remarked snarkily. Miyabi and Homura leapt upward, the wolf leaping after them, knocking Homura and Miyabi down to the street as they barely blocked it's claw strike.

Getting the attention of the other ninjas, who rushed over to their friends, Murasaki sniffed the air. "It didn't look like that before. It smells a lot more yoma-like now."

"Smells different? Do you mean it's aura, Murasaki?" Mirai asked.

"Not just that. This one used to have a coat of blue fur and reddish-orange eyes. But now it's got black fur and yellow eyes… much like a Yoma." Murasaki responded.

"The rest of you stay back! This one's ours." Miyabi yelled.

"Like hell I'm letting you do this on your own!" Asuka shouted.

"Hmph. If you're so eager to get hurt, Hanzo girl, be my guest." Miyabi remarked.

"H-hey! That was rude! I'm just as much a ninja as you, Miyabi!" Asuka grumbled.

Homura grinned, "Come on, Miyabi. Asuka's a powerful ally. Besides, she's a stubborn one once you get her started."

"Just who's side are you on, Homura?" Asuka sweatdropped, unamusement crawling across her face, but it quickly dissolved as she yelped, dodging out of the way of a red energy ball from the large yoma wolf's mouth.

"Now now, big boy." Haruka chuckled. "Girls don't like pushy fellows. You'll get your turn."

"So, you're done running away. Well now you have our full attention!" Ryobi aimed for it's skull. Despite the wolf recoiling, the shot ricochet off it's head in a weird manner. "AGAIN!? I'll unload my entire clip up your ass if I have to! Mirai, let's go! Let our bullets fly and-…"

"Flatten them out?" Katsuragi joked.

"You shut it before I shoot you too!" Ryobi and Mirai snapped back simultaneously. The others began dashing around the wolf, slashing, smashing, and shooting which only seemed to anger the wolf even further. One swift strike and Miyabi witnessed Haruka, Yagyu, and Ryona sent flying backwards.

"It's stronger than before! Stay on your guard!" Miyabi called out frantically, running over to Ryona, asking if she was alright.

"Huhuhuuu~. Yeah, but that felt great. I wanna do it again." Ryona smiled, near infatuated. Miyabi rolled her eyes before turning to the wolf again, who was getting bugged by Asuka, Hikage, Imu, and Homura who circled it like flies on a horse, taking small, rapid slashes. Getting caught, Homura held back a huge, crushing, steel claw, the wolf trying to push her down.

Imu attacked with a rolling thunder, paralyzing the wolf enough for Homura to escape, but with a deafening roar, it quickly recovered from it's paralysis, sending it's skull at Imu. With little time to react, the wolf's head hit Imu's stomach hard, sending her body against a mailbox.

"Its skin is too tough." Hikage said.

"We have to keep trying! Hikage! Aim for it's neck, I'll distract it!" Asuka shouted, to which Hikage nodded. Asuka ran straight for it's face, dodging around in a haphazard manner. After a brief wall jump, Hikage leapt off, throwing knives at the back of it's neck.

"Allow me, Hikage!" Homura jumped in, plunging her blades deep into the back of its neck. The wolf roared and began rampaging recklessly, throwing Homura off. Knocking into buildings, cars, and bowling over Mirai and Ryobi, disrupting their fire, who had been taking shots at it when they could.

But now beginning to slowly bleed out from bullet fire, the wolf began to slow. "Secret Ninja Art… Butt Go Boom!" Hibari cried out, growing about three stories high, aiming to stomp on the wolf. Ramming into her legs, Hibari began to flail, losing her balance and her eyes closing into an X. "Watch out guys!" she cried, falling onto Ryona and Haruka.

"Hibari… do you… mind?" Haruka groaned, while Ryona was in ecstasy. Hibari sweatdropped, awkwardly apologizing as she shrunk back down. Murasaki yelped, dashing away as the wolf rammed straight into a semi, knocking the wolf on its stomach as the truck exploded in its face.

Miyabi growled in anger, "I'm going to finish this!" Tearing the rest of her torn outfit off into Frantic Mode, Miyabi was left in little than her undergarments as she slid her hand along her blade, the wound opening a boiling red aura as Miyabi screamed, getting everyone's attention.

Six feathered wings, one set of black and one set of white grew from her back as her eyes turned red. "Ah… Frantic Abyssal Miyabi! She's so elegant. I can die happily now." A nosebleeding Imu sighed, laying her head back.

"S-sis! Don't die on us!" Murasaki's tone trembled and looked as though she was almost to tears.

"It's a figure of speech, you idiot!" Imu jerked her head up again, "I am… just a bit injured… I want to rest. The others have this."

The wolf then found itself bound by a giant, blue squid, commanded by Yagyu, who then called out to the Hebijo elite. "Miyabi! Now!"

"TO OBLIVION WITH YOU!" Miyabi brought her sword down, slicing the yoma wolf in half, which vanished in a strange combination of sinister smoke and pixelated squares. Miyabi's breath was long and deep. She staggered, panting as the others came around.

"You were incredible, Miyabi!" Ryona cheered, "Though I was hoping to get a good glance at it's pen-… YAH!"

"Must you really bring up that perverted shit after combat!?" Ryobi yelled, slapping Ryona several times.

"Everyone… alright?" Miyabi weakly uttered. "I'm glad that… You're all… o… kay…" a wave of dizziness covered Miyabi as what left of her consciousness faded to black.

* * *

Murasaki sat gripping her stuffed bear, Bebetan, in the elite room of Hebijo Clandestine Girls Academy alongside the others as they gave Master Suzune, also known as Rin, the report. "And you're sure it wasn't a different wolf?" Rin paced back and forth, scratching her chin.

"Positive, Master Suzune." Murasaki replied. "I could smell it. Besides, it-…"

"I'll second that, Murasaki has one trusty nose." Ryobi interrupted. Murasaki felt a tenseness chilling over her as irritation made her scrunch her face, though it started to fade considering Ryobi's compliment.

"And how about your trip, Master Suzune?" Imu inquired.

"I'm afraid I found little outside of a few strange creatures myself. I would have recovered the bodies, myself, but much like a yoma they appear to vanish upon death." Rin stopped before sitting down in her chair. "And they vanish in a blur of virtual pixels."

"Just like that wolf!" Ryona commented, looking at the others, Imu and Ryobi nodding.

"I think we should lay low for now and send out scouts until we can find more about these creatures. Besides, Miyabi still needs time to recover." Imu replied. _A reasonable approach_, Murasaki thought, until Miyabi's voice could be heard through the door.

"It'll take more than my own power to keep me down!" The others gathered around Miyabi, bringing her over to the couch where they sat. Murasaki's mind was elsewhere, gripping Bebetan tighter. _Why am I feeling this jealousy? I know Miyabi and sis love me. And I them, but… we all endured a tough encounter. Not just Miyabi. Why?_

_"Because deep down, you know it to be true." _Murasaki jumped inside, eyes popping, hearing a mysterious, feminine voice in her head. Miyabi inquired if she were okay, Murasaki simply gave a distanced nod.

"Come on, Murasaki. Show a little concern, yourself!" Imu barked.

_She didn't have to go that far! She knows I'm a shut-in! Even in Hebijo, I tend to get tired. "Then maybe they aren't the loving family you thought them to be" _The deep, but disturbingly soothing voice startled Murasaki once again, causing her to shout. "GET OUT!"

"What?!" Ryobi jolted back. Murasaki's cheeks grew a light red as her heart began pounding, her eyes darting around at her classmates before fixating on the floor again.

"Murasaki. Is something wrong?" Miyabi asked.

Murasaki shook her head. "I'm sorry. I believe I am just… tired."

"Are you sure, little sister?" Imu placed a hand on Murasaki's shoulder making her feel an uncomfortable warmth that clashed with her recent thoughts. Murasaki gave a slow nod. The rest of the girls spent the time discussing what to do about these new enemies with Master Suzune. While Murasaki occasionally added to the conversation, her mind was largely elsewhere.

_What was that voice? Who was it? I didn't recognize it at all. Oh, I wanna lock myself in my room and binge Lucky Comet and Attack on Colossal. What do you think, Bebetan?_ Murasaki held the blue, clown-faced bear up to her, pretending that he could read her thoughts. _You dumb bitch. All you ever wanna do is watch anime and play games! If you want the others to really give a damn about you, you'll go out there and do some real work! _She made him say.

After the chat was done, Murasaki silently headed off down the halls of Hebijo Academy. She rounded the corner to go to her room when Rin startled her. "You know if there's something wrong, Murasaki, best you not hold it in. It's not healthy for you."

"Master Suzune. I would never. You're my teacher."

"I hope you realize we're more than that, Murasaki. We're family. Not just Imu, but Miyabi, Ryona, Ryobi, and me all worry about you. I know these are troubling times. You're sure there's nothing wrong?"

Murasaki's thoughts raced in silence before resorting to a usual simplified response. "Y-yes. I am sure, Master Suzune. I am just tired." She bowed before walking past Rin to go to her room.

Locking herself up, Murasaki began binging various anime before logging onto one of her favorite MMOs. "Four goddesses online… I think I should choose my Spearmaster. What do you think, Bebetan?" Murasaki then flexed her voice "of course you should! You know the Spearmaster is your strongest, you dummy!"

A busty blonde Valkyrie in a green dress, Murasaki was known as GreenHeart4. The Valkyrie was a kind and levelheaded warrior but would also sometimes make snarky comments at both friends and enemies alike, sometimes subtly taunting them with her voluptuous figure. "Hehe. I don't normally think this, but I would love to meet her for real one day. I wonder if… she would like a shut-in like me?"

While the distraction of anime and games kept her mind preoccupied, the thoughts from earlier alongside the mysterious voice in her head remained in the background. Day turned to night until Murasaki rolled over, the thoughts festering like a wound. _Perhaps I am a burden. I mean, I don't need to be a shut-in anymore… Sis and I are already on good terms… right? Right? There's no need for jealousy. N-no need. No… need. _Murasaki felt as though her heart had grown a few pounds heavier. Squeezing Bebetan in shaking arms, sweat dripped down Murasaki in a cold heat as the words of the mysterious voice from earlier rang in her head.

* * *

Murasaki shook her head before getting up, sliding open the door to her room. Sneaking around the Hebijo academy grounds, Murasaki proceeded outside and beyond the gates. Glancing back at the shadow of Hebijo, doubts beginning to clutter her mind. _"You know you have to do this."_

Murasaki looked down as she heard the voice again, squeezing a solitary tear from her eye "What do you want?" _"Why, to help you, of course. You know your sister and the others will never see you as a true shinobi if you don't prove yourself. Some of those strange monsters should be just ahead. Capture one alive and you will be seen in a new light, Murasaki."_

Murasaki glanced at Bebetan, wondering if maybe he was speaking only to look down sighing. "Fine. Just please get out of my head." _"Don't worry. I will show you the way." _She started walking in the direction the voice told her when suddenly she heard a moan. Running through a couple of bushes, Murasaki's mouth gaped as she witnessed a couple of the jelly-like dogs, these of which had tentacles and hovered in midair, having their way with Ryona.

"R-ryona!" Murasaki's hair blades reared up as the strange creatures turned to her with their appendages out. Murasaki brought down her hair blade on one of them but noticed the other one seemed to be healing its ally. "Take THIS!" Murasaki unleashed energy from her Calamity Root, blasting one of the jelly dogs apart.

The other creature tried to flee, but Murasaki tangled her hair around its striped appendages like a rope, feeling the tug on her follicles as it struggled. "Ouch! S-s-stop! I won't let you… get away!" Murasaki grunted a simultaneous pair of gunshots rang out, knocking her to the ground as the jelly dog vanished in a blur of pixels.

"Awwwoooooh~ I was learning about the enemy, Murasaki. You killed my test subjects." Ryona said with guns out. Her face, now half disappointed and still half in ecstasy from the previous engagement, looked at Murasaki, sending an awkward chill down the latter's back. "You could have at least hit me while you were killing them!"

"Er… R-Ryona. You looked like you needed saving. A-and you can put your clothes on now!" Murasaki covered her eyes. Even after getting to know her, Ryona still sometimes managed to freak her out.

"That was just my way of flir-… studying the enemy. Well, maybe now you can tell me what you're doing out here, Murasaki?" Ryona asked, slipping back into her uniform.

"U-um. I was… on patrol. Th-the grunts aren't adequate with all that's been going on around here lately! Yep, Bebetan agrees too." Murasaki stuttered, shaking her stuffed bear up and down. Ryona gave her a suspicious look. "W-well, I… fine. I wanted to capture one. I figured we can study it better that way."

"Ooooh. I wanna study it too! So, let's go get us a mysterious monster. I know you wanna join, Murasakiii~." Ryona moaned out.

"H-hey! M-my definition of studying isn't the same as yours. I-I just wanna analyze it like a normal person!"

"None of us are normal, Murasaki. I'm sure most of us wanted normal lives… but at the end of the day, we're here because we come from fucked up backgrounds. Hebijo accepted us cause nobody else would. Evil accepts all, right?" Ryona's words made the lump in Murasaki's throat begin to feel even more conflicted about the day's events. After all, they all had their personal struggles. So why should hers be any different?

"I… suppose you're right, Ryona."

Murasaki then found Ryona's hand on her arm, turning to look into the heterochromatic eyes of her Hebijo friend. Ryona's worn shades of blue and green above a rugged smile showed a girl who's innocence had long since been stolen from her by the cruel master called life. "Sooo. Why did you wanna capture one of those monsters?" Ryona asked.

Murasaki stuttered to get out an answer when Rin's voice alerted her. "Maybe that's something she ought to tell us." Rin leaned against a tree with the rest of the elites standing around.

Murasaki's lips trembled, "I'm… sorry, everyone. I just heard… voices in my head and they… reminded me of my old self. Useless and cowardly. And I thought… If I caught one alive, I could be less of a worthless shut-in." Murasaki bit her lip, holding back tears.

"Planning to capture the enemy to analyze them, huh? I'm proud of you, Saki. But you mustn't do something so reckless next time." Imu placed a hand on Murasaki's shoulder.

"I'm honestly impressed, Murasaki. But we're a team. No matter what happens, the past is behind us." Miyabi smiled at her. Murasaki then embraced Imu and Miyabi, the rest of them joining in shortly after.

"I kind of figured there was more to it." Rin said. "You may still have your quirks, Murasaki, but you are not the same person who walked through those doors a couple years back. You've grown. All of you have." Murasaki nodded at her teacher's words, thanking her.

"Speaking of what Murasaki was doing, what were YOU doing out here, Ryona!?" Ryobi shot her sister a glaring scowl.

"Ehehehe. Weeeelll. I wanted to do some research too. But then Murasaki came in and party pooped on my naughty little friends who were giving me some valuable playti-… information! Hehehe." Ryona attempting to smile as innocently as possible.

"YOU PERVERTED DUMB SOW! I swear if you get preggo with a monster baby I'll shove my foot up your uterus to abort it!" Ryobi snapped, pushing Ryona down and spanking her repeatedly, to which Ryona moaned out loud. Murasaki chuckled slightly as she remembered Ryona's words. _Yeah, none of us are normal. But I couldn't see myself belonging to any other group but this one_.

Miyabi and Imu face palmed. "Some things never change." Rin sighed. "Come on, you all. Let's go back, we've a lot to talk about. Murasaki and Ryona brought us some valuable information I'm sure."

Ryobi yanked an infatuated Ryona by the ear, pulling her up. "I'll deal with you later!" but as they walked back she looked at her sister and whispered. "This doesn't mean anything, Ryona. But… what was it like?"

Ryona laughed slightly, "Well…"


	6. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 5

Chapter 5: I'm just Gessen

Up the third flight of stairs, Shiki headed into the local Ise Sueyoshi where she met up with a group of her Gyaru friends. Wearing very puffy, high-heeled boots, a plad skirt which sat just below a long crop-top just barely revealing her stomach, Shiki felt a yank from her fur-lined jacket that was worn over a crop-top. Like lightning, she leapt around to face her grabber, suspecting a possible attacker.

"Whoa! Like, chill Sheeks. It's just me, Shizue." Shiki's eyes widened as she noticed the familiar blue-haired girl, who's face was decorated with flashy makeup and equally flashy nails. While most of Shiki's friends had grown into more of the modern, casual Gyaru, a leopard-skin tank top, thick belt with rough jeans, and a tan just a shade darker than Homura told that Shizue liked to keep it old-school.

"Ah ha. Like, whats happenin' Shizue?" Shiki tried changing the subject, smiling at her best friend.

Shizue folded her arms. "I could like ask the same of you, girlfriend. We barely see your ass around these parts anymore. And Rei was like 'OMG. Shiki is like, totally abandoning us. That is sooo not cool.' And we're all like 'fer shuh,' and then Akko be like 'It's been 3 weeks alreads. Shiki better get her ass down here or Imma drag her out here, ya dig?'. Sooo, yeah. Where ya been?"

"Ahaha. Oh, you know, Shizi, school keeps me busy." Shiki nervously scratched the back of her head.

"Oh yeah, we keep forgetting you go to one of those prestigious schools with like high standards or somethin'. I don't know how I actually feel about those type o schools, cause in one sense they're like 'Raaad' but in another way I'm like 'Ew. Grodie.' We're all busy with school, Sheeks, but like, is that really what's keeping you?"

Shiki couldn't tell if Shizue was looking at her with sarcasm or genuine concern. Possibly both. Shinobi training and missions had kept Shiki pretty busy and trying to conceal that identity among her group of friends was now getting more inconvenient. "Like totally, Shizi. You know how it is. Besides, exams around this time of year and I'm totally getting may sickness." Shiki laughed, a hint of nervousness riding on her voice. Luckily, Shizue paid it no heed.

Walking inside with Shizue, Shiki was greeted by her old group of friends whom, as far as she was concerned, were just normal girls who continued to uphold the Gyaru trend long after it fell out of style. Four other girls sat at a table. While not as outgoing in appearance as Shizue, they still had that Gyaru air of flashy makeup and wavy hair. "I couldn't help but notice how fast you jumped out there, Shiki." Mizuho commented.

"I know, it's like you jolted her with some way kuh-razy drug or somethin', Shizue." Another girl named Meg added.

"Ehahaha. Oh, Gag me. I've just been all sleepy today. School like, has me really burned out and shiz." Shiki grinned.

"Oh yeah! It almost totes slipped my mind, but where is that classmate of yer's ya said you'd introduce us to, Shiki?" Hitome asked.

"Ah, I figured we would totally go meet up with her for some shopping after catching up here a bit. But where are Rei, Yaeko, and Akko?" Shiki asked.

"Rei's family was out on business with the Akite Shinto Shrine. And Yaeko really needed to catch up on Homework." Anna sighed. "Like really, that's the best she can come up with? We finally get to see our homie Shiki and she like totally dumps out on us."

"Akko's excuse was like even more bogus." Meg pouted. "All she says is I've got some 'business' to take care of. Like, after all we've been through, ya think she could throw us a bone or some shiz?"

"Is Akko still dating that Kenshi Yamauchi guy?" Shiki asked

"You think she'd do anything else? Or anyone else fer that matter?" Hitome piped up.

"As if." Shizue responded. Shiki tried to let herself go in the moment, gossiping with her old friends over the latest trends in fashion, music, and food, sometimes talks of boys or homelife would pop up. But all the while, Shiki tried to avoid talk of school if at all possible while at the same time battling herself so as not to worry about such things. Though she had fabricated a story of school life to tell as a safeguard, she wished, just sometimes, she were not a shinobi. Her parents would still be alive and moments like these could last without fear of losing them.

After a lot of small talk, the girls headed out to meet Shiki's "classmate" for some shopping, only to find she was not where she said she'd be. _I thought she'd be around the candy store somewhere. _Just then Shiki's friends looked over to see a short girl with long, brown pigtails running towards them.

"Shikiiiii!" Minori called out, running up to the girls making an annoyed face at Shiki "Where were you!? You said we'd meet up half an hour ago!"

"EH!? Well, gee, like colored me dumbfounded. I musta like totally lost track of time talkin' it up with my homegals and-… wait a minute! We never agreed on a said time, Minori! Quit pullin' this shiz on me!" Shiki folded her arms.

"Ya! You did!" Minori shouted back

"Did not."

"Did too!"

"Erm. Shiki. Is this like, yer classmate?" Shizue asked. "Pardon my skepticism but you two bein' in the same class seems like totally bogus."

Minori's cheeks puffed up "That's so rude! What gives, Shiki!? We absolutely agreed to meet up, but you DON'T show up, some weird lady started chasing me, then you forget, and your friend is a meanie!"

Shizue's eyes popped out "S-sorry, sorry! I just like… couldn't believe my eyes!"

"Wait, Minori. You said some strange woman was chasing you?! Like who?" Shiki asked.

"This goofball little girl who talked like she was someone's mommy or something!" Minori whined "I think I finally lost her."

"GATHUNK, GATHUNK!" the doors to the candy store shoved open, as a girl with messy blonde hair and a pink dress adorned with skull ribbons stepped in. "If you wanna play tag, sweetie, that's fine, but you shouldn't go running off like that!"

"Ew, like gag me with a spoon. That skull ribbon does NOT go with her outfit. She is sooo not dope." Meg commented.

"It's the weirdo! Help me, Shiki!" Minori gripped tightly around Shiki, squeezing her stomach, causing Shiki to gasp.

"M-minori! Watch your own strength!"

"You there!" The blonde girl pointed. "Are you this little girl's guardian?"

"I AM NOT LITTLE!" Minori shouted, squeezing Shiki even tighter, the latter starting to choke.

"Awww, she is totes adorbs. How precious." Anna smiled at Minori.

The blonde girl continued, "Cause if you are her guardian, I must ask you to look after your child properly! There are too many things that could happen to such a vulnerable little girl at such a delicate age… although…" the girl looked down at Minori's top heavy front "She seems to be developing well for her age, so I can't say you're completely failing."

"Mi-… No-… Ri… I… Can't breathe!" Shiki muttered. Minori's eyes widened as she let go of a gasping Shiki, who fell to the floor.

"MM! I told you I can take care of myself! Stop treating me like a baby!" Minori pouted angrily, but it didn't stop the girl from continuing.

"But with an attitude like that, You are not doing enough! How will she learn any respect!? You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Shizue took a step forward "Look, I don't know who you think you are but you are way uncool. Like, we just wanna go shoppin' like the normal gals we are and you're like getting' all up in our faces and stuff with your activism. Like, way dumb am I right, girls?"

Shiki's eyes shifted away at Shizue's words of 'normal'. _As if. Oh, Shizue. I wish I could tell you. _The blonde girl's eyes widened as she stuttered. "Wha-?! You… don't know me?! Surely you've heard of the Abnes Channel!"

Shiki's friends began throwing out 'uh's and 'um's. "I dunno, like I think that name rings a bell." Mizuho had a perplexed finger perched on her chin.

"Oooh! Can you at least tell me where we are!?" Abnes demanded.

By now, Shiki's friends began looking at the girl oddly "Urm… Shinjuku District." Anna said slowly and awkwardly.

"Just what's a Shinjuku!? Seriously, Shinjuki Japankyo, could I get a map for the fourth time already?" Abnes shrugged to which Shiki's friends began to wonder if all foreigners were 'this geeky'.

By now Shiki had gotten up. "Well thank you for helping find Minori for us, but we totes got things from here, kay. By the way, maps will be downstairs in the terminal. And one more thing, I should be asking where your parents are, sistah. You look kinda young to be goin out all on your lonesome."

"WHAT!? Are you implying that I am a little girl?!" Abnes frowned, pissed.

Minori stuck her tongue out. "Little girl, little girl! Nanananana!"

"OOOOHHH! I hope you know that people like make great material for my Gamindustry blog site!" Abnes snarled.

"You're from the game industry!?" Meg voice oozed of delight "Oh you have to tell us what you think of the latest Sweet Squasher update! Wait, which company are you from?!"

"What the. Oh, forget it. You broads are clearly of a different caliber of intelligence! Good day to you!" Abnes began to storm out of the store when a loud crash could be heard. "WHAT WAS THAT!?" Abnes proceeded to run off in the general direction of the crash.

"Hey like wait up! It could be dangerous, so don't be such a Ditsy Daisy!" Shiki frowned, her and Minori running after Abnes in the direction of the noise. The nearby clothing store practically puked out terrified customers as glass cracked and shelves flew.

"What!? They're here too!?" Abnes shouted, Shiki then noticing a strange, rampaging two-legged, pseudo-bipedal horse like creature with wings. Among them were strange bunny-looking creatures with collars. "Hey you, stupid Horsebird! You're supposed to listen to the Sages Syndicate! Quit traumatizing all the children!" Abnes waved her arms frantically at the horsebird only to get a full clothing rack thrown at her.

Shiki quickly yanked Abnes out of the way and to the side of the store "Look here, sugar. Might wanna skedaddle while ya still have a shot. Minori! You sense that?!"

"Mm! Yoma bad!" Minori nodded.

"Alright! Shinobi Kekka-…" Shiki stopped short when she heard Shizue's voice.

"Shiki? Like, what the hell are ya doin' dudette? We need to totes skedaddle ourselves!" Shizue and the rest of her Gyaru friends seemed to send an unfriendly lump down Shiki's throat as she began scratching the back of her head.

"Ah. Well, I was like… totally making sure the little girl here was okay. She kinda ran off." Shiki began to sweatdrop, laughing nervously. Abnes protested, but Shiki's nervousness blocked out any of her shouting.

"What is happening, Sheeks, you're actin kinda strange. We need to leave, like, right now!" Hitome said.

A 'look out' from Minori and Shiki saw one of the Yoma-like rabbit creatures lunge at Shizue. Knowing her friend did not possess her level of agility, Shiki quickly summoned her scythe, throwing it like a boomerang and destroying the rabbit creature.

"Wh-what!?" Shizue's eyes popped, "What just happened? And, my god, Sheeks. Where did you get that totes cray-cray weapon?!"

Shiki gulped, "Wha-… this?" nervous laughter and stutters came from Shiki's mouth, which slowly evolved into babbling noises.

"Is there… like something you've been hiding from us?" Shizue slowly began to walk closer.

_Urgh! Pull yourself together, Shiki! _"There's no time! I'll explain later, let's go!" Shiki shouted to her friends before looking back at Minori and winking. The girls turned their backs to leave, but just as Shizue looked back, Shiki and Minori were nowhere to be seen.

* * *

With both girls releasing dual shinobi barrier, Shiki and Minori then gripped hands "Shinobi… Transformation!" the two spoke in sync, reappearing into their shinobi outfits. Sensing the change in atmosphere, the enraged horsebird and the other rabbit turned their full attention on the ninjas.

"MINE!" Minori shouted, ready to rush the enemy when Shiki held her back, her arm across Minori's collarbone.

"Just wait, Minori! Now, Ku Soku ZIX!" Shiki tossed up her hat, releasing a wave of bats that poured onto the monsters, dealing significant damage to them. "Okay Minori! Now!"

Minori ran up, smacking the horsebird with her bucket in one hand and a frying pan in the other. "Bad, bad winged horsey!" the rabbit monster was surprisingly agile for it's size, biting Shiki, tearing her outfit up. Shiki's eyes could barely keep up.

"Like come on! Do you know how often I have to stitch my duds?! You're really startin' to make me angry!" Shiki gripped her scythe tightly before spinning around rapidly in a circle, slashing up everything in the way, the rabbit monster vanishing in a combination of black mist and purple pixels.

Suddenly, the barrier vanished, the area of the destroyed clothing store returning to normal as Minori flew headlong into Shiki, knocking them both down. "I'm sorry, Shiki. I not strong enough for kekkai yet!" Minori's lips pouted sadly. Reassuring her, Shiki helped Minori up to face the now charging horsebird.

"One after the other, Minno!" Shiki called, then looking at the horsebird "Wanna play? Shiki Soku ZX!" Shiki charged forward in a swarm of bats, smashing the horsebird full force.

Minori followed up Shiki's attack, slamming the horsebird with her frying pan before flattening it with giant pancakes, finishing it off. "We did it, Shiki!" Minori ran up to Shiki who was holding her arm. "Shiki! Are you okay!?"

"Rgh. I shoulda known that charging right into a charging enemy really is like, bound to have some kinda totally bogus recoil!" Shiki groaned in pain.

"You need help! We go back to Gessen!" Minori began to help Shiki up by the arm when suddenly Abnes' shrill voice broke the atmosphere.

Abnes pointed "Hold it, right there! I don't know what kind of games you're playing, but making this little girl fight is beyond child abuse!"

"Hehe. We play Shinobi. It's fun." Minori smiled. Shiki nudged Minori and shook her head. Revealing their shinobi identity was forbidden, but this girl seemed like she wouldn't buy it.

"Shut it! Your vile actions as an older sister has been revealed today! Are you not ashamed of yourself!? Damn it! Where's my camera crew!?" Abnes snarled.

"Shiki!" Shizue suddenly came over and grabbed Shiki by the hand as Abnes continued to rant in the background. "Oh, you had us worried sick! The moment you vanished we went totally looking for you and, oh my god, like WHAT IS that skanky outfit you're wearing?"

"Sh-sh-shizue?! You're supposed to be leaving!" Shiki stuttered through gritted teeth, trying not to show any signs of pain.

"Like yeah, WE were supposed to be leaving! You can't just vanish on our asses and expect us to like, not wonder where you went!" Shizue began to look mad "What is up with you today, Shiki!? You are acting so whack."

"You big meanie!" Shiki looked over to hear Minori yell as she bonked Abnes on the head. Abnes began crying 'Assault! Assault!'.

"I-i-I'm alright! Look, I'mma catch up with ya later, Shizue! I gotta go now!" Shiki said very quickly before grabbing Minori by the hand. "C'mon, Minori. You know the rules! And we've already broken sev-… Ow!" Shiki clenched her right arm.

"Let me help!" Minori held onto Shiki before the two leapt over the railing of the second floor. Shizue ran over to the railing, looking down with widened eyes but Minori and Shiki had vanished. Rubbing her eyes, Shizue looked again, not believing what she just witnessed.

"I've been attacked! Call the cops! Get first aid! Give me a therapeutic puppy and put me in a safe space away from these hooligans!" Abnes cried.

Shizue sighed looking up at Abnes "You do realize that everyone else is like, gone, right?"

* * *

Murakumo walked into the Gessen Elite room. It's red velvet carpets and walls, little stone pond with a Sōzu dipping into it, and traditional wooden bridges was one of the few places in which she finally learned to be comfortable without her mask, which she removed, hanging off the side of her belt. Murakumo breathed in a breath of tranquility that she found herself unable to feel inside her mask, letting a sense of peace engulf her mind, lifting off like a feather.

She found Yozakura and Yumi sitting at the cushioned cube-couch, greeting them with a smile. Yumi turned and gave a slight bow to her. "Murakumo. How was your little restoration trip with Ikaruga and Yomi?"

"It actually went quite well. We assisted with new developments and real estate investments. Ikaruga really is something else. With her father passing, her brother Murasame disappearing, and the Houou family business falling to her, I don't know how she does it. But she took over and proceeded to invest family business into the slums. Yomi was sobbing tears of joy." Murakumo smiled.

"That's so sweet." Yozakura's eyes near began to water themselves.

Yumi smiled "I am happy for all of you. I hope the people there live prosperously. But you are back sooner than expected, Murakumo. I thought the three of you would be another two to three days."

"Yeah, about that. We heard the news that Shibuya District was attacked by strange yoma. Or at least we thought they were Yoma."

Yumi and Yozakura leaned in closer. "Go on." Yumi said.

Murakumo gulped "Well, seeing our friends and the Hebijo girls on TV we headed out towards the area to go assist them. But as we were passing by closer to Hanzo National Academy, we found a most terrifying sight. The area had been attacked and we found Daidoji trapped inside of-… inside of-…" Murakumo's eyes grew wide as she felt her heart beating faster with her heightened breath.

"Murakumo. Calm down. Here." Yozakura grabbed her mask and handed it to her. "Now tell us... What was Daidoji trapped in?"

Donning her Hanya mask, Murakumo's voice deepened after a brief throat clear. "It was… some kind of… giant, jelly-like creature. Were it not for the circumstances, it might have looked cute with it's strange puppy-like face and raccoon like ears and tail… But it had Daidoji… trapped inside of it's… G-gelatin body! It was like something out of a hentai doujinshi! I-I mean… I d-didn't say that."

Yozakura folded her arms, halfway in between seriousness and shameful disbelief. "Regardless of what you chose to read at night, the fact that you are still stuttering behind your mask is cause enough for concern."

"Indeed. And it may have something to do with what we've been hearing as well." Yumi added "Rumors of strange anomalies have been spreading slowly. Odd flashes of energy which spawn aliens of sorts. Did Daidoji make it out alive?"

Murakumo nodded "We… were able to save her, But she was pretty beat. After helping her back inside, Ikaruga stayed with her while Yomi and I met up with the rest. By the time we found them, the Hebijo girls were gone and the rest had already finished the fight. Yomi went back with Homura and I came here."

A chilling atmosphere flowed through the room, and no it wasn't Yumi farting. Even behind the mask, Murakumo could feel the anxiety crawling up her back, raising goosebumps. Yumi stood up. "Yoza, I am going to go meet with the Hanzo girls. We need to better understand what is going on here."

"Yumi. But what about the investigation mission?" Yozakura asked.

"It's too dangerous now. I can't have any one of you going off to Kyoto alone. Please wait for Shiki and Minori to return." Yumi gave the girls a cold stare that Murakumo all at once hated, feared, and respected.

"So, you're telling us not to go alone, but You're going off to meet up with Hanzo?" Yozakura's annoyed frown was written all over.

"Hanzo Academy is closer than Kyoto. Besides, until Shiki and Minori return, we can't leave Gessen unguarded. Besides, someone needs to fill each other in on the details." Yumi smiled gently, with the same sister-like eyes Murakumo always knew her for. "Don't worry, Yozakura… Murakumo. I'll be fine."

* * *

Yumi had barely left a block from Gessen Academy, deep in thought from the recent events. While her mind wanted to blame the Yoma, her heart tugged on it as if to say 'there's something more at stake.' BAM!

"Ow, hey! Might you please watch where you aim your homosapien mass?!" a mysterious voice spoke. Yumi looked up from where she had fell on the ground. A girl with long-blue hair, the length of which went down just past her back behind her white, gear plaid dress, sat in front of her. Yumi got up, helping the girl to her feet.

"I am so sorry. I was lost deep in thought and was not looking where I was going!" Yumi gave a slight bow.

The girl adjusted her red tie and her gear-decorated wizard's hat, which Yumi couldn't help but stare. "A bystander, eh? Very well then. I shall look past this mishap with no further suspicion! I had feared you were part of the organization for a moment! But alas, perhaps it is fate which brought us together! For I am but a foreigner in these strange and mystic lands! And here I have been graced with the meeting of one potential ally and partner in magic! Pray tell, do you know where I might find some Duck P?"

By now, the girl had grabbed Yumi's hand as her ramblings grew closer to Yumi's face. Yumi's eyes had grown so wide in shock, they may have fallen out of her sockets by now as she let loose a bewildered "What?" from her mouth.


	7. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Fists and Feet

Neptune rubbed the back of her head as she got up. "Oooww. Just what was that all about? First I'm fighting hacked monsters and then some dingus had to go blinding me and possibly lowered my accuracy! Unless..." Neptune gasped "Wait. Am I... on a beach!? Oh nononono! I swear, this always seems to happen in my franchise. Lemme guess, I'm in another dimension right about now. I'm surprised I didn't fall onto anyone."

"N-neptune?" came the timid, stuttering voice of Tekken, who shook sand from her grey hair, picking up her spiked gloves. "Where… are we?"

"Whoa! It's Tekken! Long time no see." Neptune grinned.

"What? But… we were just fighting a moment ago." Tekken's lips carved a confused frown onto her face.

"Oh, time's always acting like a big buttmunch with these sorts of things. One year in this world may mean one week back in our dimension. You know how it works." Neptune smiled, but Tekken only shook her head in disagreement saying that she really didn't. Neptune then looked over to see a pair of legs and a tail sticking out of the sand.

"Yoink!" Neptune grabbed onto the tail and pulled out a dizzy Broccoli. "Ooh ooh! I plucked a Puchiko!"

"Really? Of all the people I could have gotten stuck with, of all places I could have been, I just had to wind up with Neptune, nyu." Broccoli's flat tone complimented her unamused face.

"Let's not split pears… or watermelons since we're on a beach and all, Puchiko." Nep, Tekken, and Broccoli looked over in the distance to see a family on vacation, the young blindfolded son, smashing a wooden stick down onto a watermelon.

"I propose we stick Nep's head there next, nyu." Broccoli pointed.

"Aw, you're so cute when you're trying to make jokes, Puchiko." Neptune patted Broccoli on the head. At this point, Broccoli was so aggravated that she turned to the spot where she had been stuck in the sand and smashed her face back inside like an ostrich.

"Hey! No need for all the passive-aggressive sarcasm, Puchiko! Help me out Tekken!"

"Leave me alone. I am laying to rest the remainder of my brain cells, nyu." Broccoli's voice muffled through the sand.

Tekken grabbed one of Broccoli's little legs as Nep grabbed the other, "Don't say that, Broccoli! I-i am here too! Don't you go dying on Tekken now! Besides. We need… to find out… what's going on!" Yoinking Broccoli out, the girls rolled in the sand before Broccoli landed on top of Tekken.

"I didn't know you were here, Tek. Well, I guess maybe you will help keep my sanity in check, nyu. Besides, exploring new worlds is a pastime by now." Broccoli got up before picking up a stick on the beach. "Now, let us think a bit about just what happened, nyu."

"What do you think, Neptune?" Tekken looked over.

Nep placed a finger on her chin "Well, last I knew, You and the other makers went after the new… Sage alliance or somethin'. And we were left fighting strange, powered up monsters."

"You had all told us to go after Marvy and Tamsoft, nyu." Broccoli replied.

"Mhm! The Sages and Arfoire Syndicate were on the run." Tekken added.

"Do you remember anything in your memory of memories? Like what happened during your encounter?" Neptune asked.

"Well… I-i remember holding back Anonydeath's fist with my own. And, and I know Iffy had gone all fiery and started burning up... I think." Tekken stuttered.

"That girl was on fire? I didn't think she had enough MP to use that Materia yet." Neptune scratched her chin.

"It was just flame awakening." Broccoli blurted, drawing quick sand paintings with her stick to illustrate her experience. "Anyways, I managed to knock that pervy Trick out of my sight, nyu. I was about to go over to help Falcom with the anger management issues robot when I saw it."

"It!? Oh no! Don't tell me a clown popped out of the sewers, Puchiko!" Neptune's eyes widened as she began to sweatdrop when suddenly she got bonked on the head.

"BROCCOLI NOT PUCHIKO!" Broccoli cleared her throat "Anyways… it was an unusual circle, nyu. It was mostly hollow except for a strange light in the middle. And it housed a small orange gem on each end, nyu." Broccoli drew a strange set of circular rings, intersecting each other around a sparking light to form the odd sphere. "Next thing I know, Iffy shoulders CFW Magic out of the way, when she and Marvy reached for the item at the exact same time and then... I woke up with my head in the sand, only to find that I am accompanied by the person I least enjoy being around, nyu."

"Broccoli!" Neptune gasped, "How can you say something so mean about poor Tekken?"

"Yeah, Brocc. How could you say something like that?!" Tekken began wiping near her eyes.

Broccoli's eyes widened in her signature 'are you f**king serious' look. "Really? You have got to be kidding me, nyu."

"Hehe. I am." Tekken whispered, grinning at broccoli.

"That makes one of us, nyu." Broccoli closed her eyes in annoyance as Nep continued to rant about how mean it was to Tekken. Just then a group of kids ran past, one of them stopped and looked at Tekken.

"Whoa! Are you fighting in the tournament?" one boy asked.

"T-tournament? What tournament?" Tekken asked. The other boys then proceeded to tell them about the Yokohama Bay fighting tournament, which in the distance the group could see a small, elavated wooden ring which stood beneath wide banners reading _Yokohama Bay Tournament_. A crowd gathered just beneath them.

"Oooh, we should totally enter that tournament. What better way to find out more about this world than to battle in it?" Neptune smiled.

"Lots, I'm sure, nyu." Broccoli commented dryly.

"Oh, no worries. We'll just walk up to the registration and jump right in there!" Nep smiled, but it soon turned upside down when the registrar denied her entry. "What do you mean 'does not meet height requirements'!? I'm telling ya I'm a lot more experienced in battle than most of the people here! I'll show you!" Neptune scrunched up her face, her body tense as she tiptoed.

"What is wrong, Neptune? You know, I saw bathrooms over there if you need them." Tekken pointed in the direction of some portable Japanese toilets.

"She can't transform, nyu. I actually feel a little bad for her." Broccoli folded her arms.

"I am sorry miss, but allowing anyone under 5 feet (1.5 meters) is a violation of the safety procedures and rules for this tournament." The registration man replied. Just then a tall man with curly, dark brown hair casually approached. While not particularly buff, he was relatively toned, with a light tan on him and a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes. With a brightly colored, flowery shirt that was slightly unbuttoned at the top and off-tan, khaki shorts, and a camera around his neck, he looked like a tourist.

The man spoke in a calm, collected tone. "I wouldn't be so quick to judge if I were you. Sometimes big things come in small packages, and that which is hidden has been in plain sight."

"Whoa. Hold the phone and dial 1-800-CRYPTIC. Who's this weirdo?" Neptune gaped.

The man continued talking to the registration employees "I sense a great deal of potential coming from this little girl. I believe she may surprise you." Broccoli began laughing at the man's 'little girl' comment, much to Neptune's dislike.

"Listen, participant. Whether she can fight or not is irrelevant. We are a small-town volunteering this fundraiser and do not want to be sued for disregarding safety. Rules are rules and we can't change them." The registration woman replied.

"Fair enough." The man turned to Neptune and her friends. "Sometimes life's greatest lessons are learned through failure. Perhaps you'll get to show them next time."

"Uuum. Yeah, so… Who are you and why were you tryin' to help me like that?" Neptune felt a small, awkward sweatdrop forming from her.

"Just consider me a participant in the tournament. As for your other question…" The man turned away slightly "I help so that maybe one day, my rights shall outweigh my wrongs. But fear not. I sense you will do something great in the near future."

"Ooh! Finally someone who recognizes my awesome power as a main character." Neptune beamed with an ignorant happiness that made Broccoli roll her eyes. But it didn't last long as Neptune's sad eyes frowned of disappointment, "But it still doesn't raise my persuasion skill enough to participate."

"If her head was a balloon, it would have floated off her neck a long time ago, nyu." Broccoli face palmed, pretending not to know her.

"Don't worry, Neptune. I-i will participate o-on your behalf!" Tekken walked up to the counter, and while she met the requirements, she soon ran into obstacles such as lack of ID and proper currency as Gamindustri Credits were not valid. The participating man stepped in again, suggesting they allow her to pass.

When asked why, he responded, progressively speaking louder so that others could hear him "Rules are rules, but these girls just wanna have fun. You've already denied one entry, albeit for a decent reason. Now you not only hold up another when they just wish to see their cool friend participate in the tournament, but you hold up an entire line of people. Is that really the kind of people you want to be seen as 'in this small town'? Which, by these numbers may not be so small after all."

The registrar whispered among each other as did the others in line. "Alright, alright!" Said the woman, giving Tekken a name tag, "But keep quiet about this!"

Neptune performed a two-finger salute while exaggeratingly saying "YES! Tekken, be polite and thank Mr. participating cool dude!... Tekken?" Nep looked over to see a stuttering Tekken looking at the man, petrified.

"Ooooh that's right! Tekken already has social awkwardness issues. But she had a bad experience when some scumbags tried to gang up on her." Nep said casually.

"Oh my. I am sorry if I reminded you of such an experience." The man sighed. Tekken's eyes widened more as she shook her hands, words unable to escape her mouth.

"Oh don't worry, Mr. Participating Cool Dude. Tekken just thinks all men are 'creepy crawly'." Nep responded.

"Uh!? Well, that's… awful rude. How do you interact with half the population?" the man looked a tad hurt.

Tekken stutted "N-n-n-n-n-n-neptune! Th-that's… that's that's!" She froze up when the man placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I am sorry about what happened, though. You'll be alright, miss Tekken. I'll see you in the tournament." The man walked off.

Tekken looked down, teary-eyed before grabbing Neptune by the shoulders, shaking her "Y-y-you're a meanie, Neptune!"

"Well Tek, as you always say, nyu. 'Truth hurts, right'? Now are we gonna get moving, nyu?" Broccoli's lips curled to the side in her signature unamused cat face.

* * *

As the tourney began warriors began dropping out left and right. Neptune and Broccoli, despite the latter thinking they were wasting time, cheered Tekken on as she took one victory after another. The crowds went wild over Tekken, some of whom said her moves mimicked a certain franchise. Making it to the semifinals, Tekken soon found herself against the participating cool dude.

"Glad to see you made it, Tekken." The man said.

"Mm! Likewise… A-and… I am sorry for acting so rude earlier." Tekken replied.

"You're speaking to me just fine, now?" he asked.

"When I'm fighting… or just have minimal interaction, it's like it all goes away, I get so pumped before the battle, I feel I can take on anything. B-but I have a question for you, Mr. Participating Cool Dude… You said you hoped you could outright your wrongs. What wrongs were those?" Tekken looked into her opponent's eyes, or would have had the sunglasses not been in the way.

"Hm. Let's just say my blind ignorance once hurt someone I once considered myself close to and leave it at that. And please, you may call me Komichi. Now prepare yourself, Tekken." Tekken took a fighting stance and the bell rang for the match to begin.

Komichi rushed at Tekken, who barely dodged his flying fists, countering with her leg, knocking him back. With both unusual fighting styles clashing, Komichi and Tekken took more hits than they expected. "Uuum, Puchiko. I was expecting something a lot more… epic for this fight but it looks like a… Cluster$ #! Heeey! Who just censored me!?" Neptune whined.

At one point, Tekken and Komichi locked arms. "Tell me… Tekken… Where did you learn how to fight like that? If I didn't know any better, I'd say they pulled you straight out of a video game!"

"A place called Lastation!" Tekken pushed Komichi back.

"A gas station!? Just what were they doing there!?" Komichi held his ground after the shove.

"Isn't it obvious?" Tekken performed a backwards somersault. "They taught us to fight! Now, Demon Scissors!" Tekken leapt forward with both legs, knocking Komichi down as her feet latched onto his neck. Getting up, he attempted to piledrive her, but a swift elbow to the gut sent Komichi down again. Tekken then jumped and shouldered him into the stage, where the bell rang.

"Well done… miss Tekken." Komichi grunted. Tekken hesitated for a moment, but with a shaking hand helped Komichi up. After the contestants got offstage, Komichi gave a slight bow to Tekken. "It was an honor to fight with you, Tekken. Now go give that last opponent hell!" Tekken began stuttering again.

"Aaand there she goes again." Neptune sweatdropped.

"I have to admit, even I'm starting to get a little annoyed with it, nyu." Broccoli added. With an awkward smile, Komichi bid them goodbye and left the scene.

Neptune rolled her eyes "Whoa. And I thought 5pb had it rough. Ya know, Tekken... we need to work on your people skills."

The crowds roared; Tekken gulped. _That semifinal round was tougher than ever. That means the final… I can do this. _Tekken braced herself as her opponent came onstage. Her opponent wore a simple, white buttoned-up shirt which was accompanied by a pink tie, with matching colored-ribbons in her long brown hair. A simple pink-plaid skirt adorned her bottom half and asides from a very fancy looking set of greaves and gauntlets, she looked like a normal girl with a smile so sweet that Tekken almost suspected her of being a sponsor messenger.

"Good luck out there!" The girl waved to Tekken "Might I have my opponent's name?"

"Eh-h-hello. My name is Tekken. And yours?" Tekken asked.

"Greetings, Tekken! My name is Ayame! Let us have a good fight!" Ayame smiled before turning to the crowd. "Remember, don't throw away those tickets! As you can turn them in to my shop for a discount on all purchased items!"

The crowds cheered as Ayame waved them on. "OOH! She sure knows how to draw em in like insects to a buglight!" Neptune grinned. "Hey, Puchiko, we should totally go check out her shop afterwards. Me wonders what mysterious gizmos this world has to offer!"

"It's Broccoli. Not Puchiko, nyu. But you forgot we won't get any discount because we didn't have the right money for any tickets." Broccoli let her tongue hang out a bit as the words left her mouth.

As the bell rang, Tekken and Ayame began a slow circle around each other, each trying to anticipate the other's movements. Tekken felt a chill up her spine, the air around her seemed to tense up as her heart pounded more and her muscles trembled. This girl she was facing was something else.

Almost simultaneously, Tekken and Ayame rushed each other, fists deflecting almost perfectly off one another. Ayame kicked upward, to which Tekken responded by leaning backwards, tripping Ayame up with a sweeping kick. _Now's my chance! _Tekken aimed to land on her with an elbow, the same move she'd used on Komichi, but Ayame punched her off in a flash. With less than a second to catch her breath, Tekken was back on her feet just in time to parry Ayame's spinning kick. With near identical timing, both girls shook off the impact and came at each other with a wild combination of jabs, hooks, uppercuts, axes, roundhouses, and sweepers creating a flurry that made the crowds explode.

"WOOOOHA! That's what Im talkin' about! GOOOO TEKKEEEENNN!" Neptune shouted, waving her fist and jumping up and down. Broccoli looked over as a flash from Komichi's camera surprised her. Suspiciously, she was unsure of whether he snapped a picture of her or the match between Tekken and Ayame. Both girls finally knocked each other backwards, breathing heavily. Tekken wiped a small trickle of blood from her mouth.

"You are… not bad, miss Tekken." Ayame regained composure.

"You too, miss Ayame. That felt kinda good. If I weren't so focused on winning, I might just forfeit here and now." Tekken blushed lightly, to which Ayame responded with an awkward 'okay'. "but allow me to pick up the pace! Raijin Fist!" Tekken's fist glowed of an electrical aura as she rushed at Ayame, who just barely dodged the energy-infused uppercut.

"Interesting. It seems you were hiding something under those sleeveless arms of yours. So where are you from, Tekken?" Ayame asked.

"Lastation. Lastation of Gamindustri." Tekken replied.

"Lass-Stateeon? Is that Serbian or something? Or did you say gas station?" Ayame rolled her head, stretching her neck. "I suppose it doesn't matter. But you should know, Tekken. Every girl has her secrets. And mine is a Secret Ninja Art! Reverse Spindle!"

"Fujin Fist!" Tekken responded, rushing at Ayame, who's legs were spinning like a tornado. Tekken's fist wound up connecting against Ayame's attack. The high impact of both wind-like attacks created a counter-surge of energy, resulting in an energy-explosion that threw both girls backward and off the stage at the same time. The crowds gasped, pretending not to stare, as when Ayame and Tekken had both gotten up, their outfits had been ripped to shreds. Ayame screamed, turning her back and Tekken hunched over with a shameful look to hide her exposed boingy bits.

"Whoa, talk about recoil! I get the other girl, but why is Tekken so bothered? Seein' her outfit, she's two thin threads shy from lingerie." Neptune's eyes widened before sighing. "As the old saying goes, logic be damned in the name of fanservice."

"Nobody says that, nyu." Broccoli folded her arms, shaking her head.

The officials, bringing both Ayame and Tekken long robes, proceeded to help them to their feet, one of them, coming over with a megaphone. "After looking over the replay, several times, the officials have determined that this match ended in a tie. We can either hold a follow-up match or one of you shall receive your first-place trophy in the mail. Well what do our contestants have to say?"

"That was very exhilarating. We should do it again sometime. But I think a trophy is good enough." Tekken smiled.

"Yeah. Let's take what we got here. You were an amazing opponent. Not even my ni-… er, new martial art friends come close to you." Ayame said. After a brief moment of silence, both Ayame and Tekken slapped a firm hand shake together, raising both their fists into the air, prompting the crowds to cheer.


	8. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Unravelling Threads

Ayame invited Neptune, Tekken, and Broccoli back to her shop, where she came out in a frilly, pink apron with a bikini underneath. Neptune's eyes bulged, "Whoa. And I thought Tekken's outfit was lewd. This girl is goin for a full-on kitchen fetish. I bet she's gonna start layin' out the food play. Puchiko, do you see any carrots?"

"Why yes. I saw some headed that way. If you hurry, you might be able to catch them, nyu." Broccoli pointed sarcastically. As Broccoli looked around, Neptune and Tekken continued talking with Ayame, especially the latter, as both girls admired each other's fighting styles. Tekken expressed that she was not used to crowds lining up to congratulate her and it made her nervous.

"Oh, you get used to it. Luckily this is a small town just outside Yokohama, so you don't get too many of them. So, where did you say you guys were from again? Someplace in Europe?"

"What's a Europe?" Neptune asked. "No wait. Don't tell me. It's an exclusive flavor of butterscotch pie made from a mama goat."

Ayame's eyes widened into white circles of shock as she thought _Is this one of those people who make it into stupid people vine compilations? _

"U-um G-gamindustri! We are from Gamindustri?" Tekken replied.

"Game industry?" Ayame scratched her chin, "Oh! That's so cool! So you make games then. But that's not what I was asking." Ayame rubbed the back of her head.

"Uhm. Well, Planeptune does make games but we make tons more than just that. I can totally bring you along to Gamindustri one day, Ayame cause I'm the godde-… MMPH!" As Ayame wasn't looking, Tekken suddenly grabbed Neptune's mouth.

"Could you excuse us for a minute, Ayame?" Tekken quickly pulled Nep aside. "What are you doing, Neptune? You can't just go telling people these things so openly."

"Um. Well… it didn't seem to matter the time I visited Ultradimension, sooo why would it matter here?" Nep smiled awkwardly.

"The logic of Nep never ceases to amaze me, nyu." Broccoli closed her eyes in a look of disapproval.

"Don't you get it, Neptune? We could attract unwanted attention and possibly trouble if we go openly saying things like that." Tekken protested. Ayame squinted, looking through the shelves behind them to try and hear what they were saying. Her curiosity and suspicion beginning to rise, she knelt down behind a shelf full of souvenirs, making sure there were no customers around as the Gamindustri girls continued.

"But we don't even know that it was portal!" Tekken whined.

"Maybe it's because we didn't look at the operational end of the device?" Nep smiled with a pointed finger out.

"Now's not the time for jokes, nyu! You ought to be more careful from now on. If this gets anymore out of hand, we'll-… What is it, Gema?" Broccoli looked down at her little balloon creature, which was making a worried face. "Gema says we're not alone, nyu."

Ayame ducked her head. _W-well of course they aren't! We're in a shop after all right?_ Just then Ayame yelped as she felt a pair of hands squeezing her jugs. "aAAAAHHH! N-n-n-n-NO TOUCHING!" She looked up to see a short, blue-haired boy dash around and laugh.

"Hahaha! Good thing for that try-before you buy deal. Cause your face was so priceless I couldn't afford it!" the boy began to take off running.

"Get back here, you little perv!" Ayame shouted. The boy looked back with a snicker when suddenly he tripped and fell on his face. Ayame looked up to see that Neptune had stuck her foot out and tripped the kid.

"WASTED!" Neptune shouted. "That's what ya get for bein' pervy."

The boy quickly jumped to his feet "I just wanted to see her reaction is all! And who are you to go tripping people up like that. That's rude."

"And just who are YOU to be openly groping girls like that!? You're too young for that sort of behavior!" Ayame barked.

"E-e-yeah! N-now, apologize you-… you… you little cutie." Tekken began looking at the boy with sparkles in her eyes.

"Suraku!" Komichi had walked up from behind the boy and lightly grabbed him by the back of his black, buttoned-up school jacket. "Is that any way for a brother to be acting?"

"Put me down, Komichi! It was just a joke!" Suraku pouted.

"Yes, a joke that Yamauchi would not be so tolerant about. Now if you apologize to miss Ayame, I will let this go." Komichi replied, putting the boy down.

"Hmph! Fine, I'm sorry…" Suraku pouted shamefully before pointing at Tekken "But let's be clear on one thing. I am NOT CUTE!"

"Aww, that just makes ya even cuter, kiddo." Neptune ruffled Suraku's hair.

The boy yelled in protest. "NO, I'M NOT! I am a warrior just you watch! Why don't we go back to Tokyo and I'll show ya!"

Ayame's face grew serious. "What's happening in Tokyo!?"

"Don't tell me you been livin' under a rock with no electronics cause you wanted to be all 'one with nature' and whatnot." Suraku pulled a sleek looking touchscreen phone from his pocket, before pulling up a video from Nippon News, showing Tokyo in a panic as Yoma attacked the streets. Broccoli then yanked Tekken and Neptune back.

"You saw it too, didn't you, nyu?"

"Yeah, some of those looked kinda like the monsters from our world. We should go help them!" Neptune nodded.

"But… I thought you wanted us to lay low for a while." Tekken replied.

"I know. But if innocent people are being attacked by monsters, no matter where they are, I have to protect them! It's in my heroine description after all." Neptune then proceeded to run out the door, Tekken and Broccoli trailing after her.

"Wait! Neptune! You don't even know where this… Toki-yoyo is!" Tekken cried. Just then, Neptune stopped, looking into the forest that sat behind Yokohama Bay. Local birds flew off and the trees were crashing in the distance.

"Oooh. Birds flying and trees cracking to indicate something bad is coming cliché. Neptune would be great at Fiction Sins, Ding." Nep smiled.

"That's not a thing, nyu." Broccoli frowned.

Neptune reached for her weapon when she came to a dreaded realization. "Huh? Um… where'd my weapon go? Oh crap! Don't tell me I lost my signature Nep sword!"

"You bought it for like 2500 credits at the Lowee shop, nyu." Broccoli remarked, but Neptune ran back into the shop frantically.

"Ayame! Get everyone out of the tent now! Something's coming!" Neptune replied.

"Eh!? So that man screaming outside was…" Ayame got cut off

"And do you sell any weapons in the shop?!" Nep began rushing around her shop frantically.

"U-um. Well, I do have the Tempered Carbon Steel Katana over there but-…"

"Thanks, Ayame! Now quick! It's not safe!" Neptune grabbed the Katana from it's shelf and quickly ran outside.

"H-heeeeyyyyy! Neptune, you can't just take things without paying for them! Ooohhh." Ayame moaned but proceeded to clear everyone out of the shop. By now, the people outside began looking toward the direction of the forest, backing away as each rumbling 'thud' got closer and closer. Suddenly a figure leapt into the air before landing and half smashing Ayame's shop.

The crowds of people fled screaming as the figure revealed itself. Giant, metallic wings protruded from its back, as did two massive gun barrels that went over its smaller robotic head, which sat just above a bear head biting down on a game console-shaped screen. Its hulking legs appeared to have remotes that decorated the sides as the entire machine was coated in a dark red coat of paint. Smashing its fists together while holding a giant sword in one hand, it let out an eerie, mechanized roar.

"A Galakryzer!? They've never made a sound like that before!" Nep performed a spinning leap forward beside Ayame, drawing the Katana.

"You know what these things are?" Komichi asked.

"W-without a doubt." Tekken replied. "Although… there's something different about this one. Like it seems to have a demon on its chest screen."

"I know, right? I hope it doesn't start talking… But if it did, it would probably say something like 'Pathetic! After all that talk, Xord was crushed by worthless maggots like you!?'" Neptune grinned goofily as she scratched her voice.

"Now's not the time for references, nyu." Broccoli said.

"Then it seems we have no choice." Komichi got into a stance.

"No way!? You're gonna let those little girls fight alongside us?" Suraku gasped.

"Excuse me?! Funny calling someone little who's even littler than me! Forget a punch, only thing you're packin' is nerd gear, kiddo." Neptune folded her arms, glaring at Suraku.

"Oh yeah!? I'll show you my gear is pretty deadly, you… girl who doesn't know what a skirt is!" Suraku stuck his tongue out at Neptune.

"How rude. This is a parka dress. Not that little boys would know anything about fashion." Neptune and Suraku glared at each other.

"That's enough, Suraku. Now… Shinobi Transformation!" Komichi placed his hands together, his vacation attire now vanishing to reveal his moderately toned abs and tan lines from his arms and legs, leaving him in little but a thong before he transformed into a black suit, short cape, and unbuttoned white shirt, exposing his chest a little.

"Shinobi Transformation!" Suraku transformed, his small, boyish frame revealed as he soon donned baggy jeans, a loose t-shirt that read 不慮, and a jacket to go over it with a set of goggles over his head. "HA! How's that?"

"Hmm, I dunno, this whole rebel thing the kid's got goin' really gives a delinquent vibe." Neptune slightly giggled.

"OOOH, we'll see how far you can get with that old sword!" He barked at Neptune.

"That's enough, you two. Now, let's finish this thing! Ayame?" Komichi looked her way.

Ayame locked eyes with Komichi for just a second. _He's a ninja too!? What clan is he from? _Ayame nodded before turning to the Galakryzer. "You RUINED MY SHOP! I won't let you get away with this!" The Galakryzer looked their direction before letting out another mechanized, demonic roar, raising it's sword.

The group scattered as it brought down it's sword. Neptune and Tekken began running around to it's side when it's gun barrel fired an array of red shots, which Neptune thought were missiles at first, when she heard a haunting moan from them. The faces of demonic, red ghosts with piercing teeth were fired at them from both sides. Ayame, Komichi, and Suraku leapt around, dodging the ghost like shots. "Nep-what!? Tekken, Broccoli, do you EVER remember Galakryzers being able to do that?" Nep asked only to have Tekken shake her head.

"Not a bit, nyu. Come to think of it. I don't think I've ever seen ANY monster in Gamindustri do that, Nyu." Broccoli shuddered a bit, concern consuming her face.

"I don't know where you're from, Ninja. But those were definitely Yoma." Ayame said looking at Komichi and Suraku.

"Yes, this thing is definitely a Yoma and yet… not… But the time for talk is not now!" Komichi rushed up, revealing a set of small arm cannons, which attached to a pair of gauntlets/brass knuckles. Firing exploding kunai at the machine's legs, the Galakryzer's vision was obstructed.

"Now it's my turn!" Suraku dashed up to it in a bolt of lightning, moving onto it's back where he revealed his phone to also be a taser, jamming it into the Galakryzer's back. Neptune saw her opportunity.

Neptune rushed up with Tekken and Broccoli following her. The three of them announcing their attacks respectively. "Cross combination!"

"Gema Toss!"

"Raijin Fist!"

Between a spinning Neptune, a hardened balloon, and an electrical uppercut, the Galakryzer sustained heavy damage. Komichi rapidly looked around for what he suspected what might be a weak spot until his eyes fixated on the small screen on the robot's chest.

Ayame, who was frozen in a state of fear, awe, and anticipation, snapped from her daze when Komichi called out to her. Running up towards the paralyzed Galakryzer where the demon face occupied the handheld-shaped screen. Ayame rapidly kicked at the Galaykryzer's screen, disrupting the electronic parts inside before shattering it with one final double-kick as she cried "RrrROCKET GIRL!".

Komichi's glasses blinged "Secret Ninja Art… Ballistic Barrage!" Summoning his arm cannons once more, he fired into the Galakryzer's now broken screen with all manners of different Kunai. The Galakryzer then threw Ayame off as it staggered back in pain.

"YEEEAAAH! Take that Galakreep!" Neptune cheered.

"That was totally awesome!" Suraku cheered as well, but then, as both he and Neptune noticed the other's excitement, they both folded their arms and turned away from each other with a 'hmph'. Despite the broken chest screen, the demon face still appeared and the Galakryzer roared once more. A strange, flesh-like substance growing in place of it's damaged spots.

"Whoa! Hey! Neptune was it? You know about these things, yes? Is this normal for them?!" Ayame asked.

"I have never in all my eternal goddess years seen something so disgusting! Somebody give me a computer monitor to throw! Because this cheater is using HAAAAAACKS!" Neptune pointed.

The Galakryzer unleashed a red aura energy that threw everyone back. Komichi slid in the sand, barely landed on his knees. "If I had to guess. I'd say that thing was possessed by a yoma!"

"W-what's a yoma!?" Tekken forced herself to her feet.

"Demons attracted to bloodshed. Normally I would keep this information secret, but you're no ordinary citizens." The Galakryzer again fired wailing, red ghost shots their direction, now rushing at them with its sword extended. Busy dodging and fending off the demonic ghost attacks, the Galakryzer was almost on top of them, ready to slice Neptune, Tekken, and Ayame up, when a pair of pink laser beams pushed the Galakryzer back.

"MEKARA BEAM!" Broccoli shouted, but not before her eyes sparkled, unleashing a bright and deadly beam of light.

"Incredible. Big things come in small packages indeed." Komichi commented.

"Thanks, Puchiko! But how did you not get hit?" Nep asked.

"I'm small so I have high evasion stats, nyu. And Not Puchiko, It's Br-… why do I even bother?" Broccoli frowned.

Ayame began to run up towards the stunned Galakryzer. But as she did, Neptune saw a brief vision in a blue flash where the Galakryzer sliced Ayame in half, but cut off before the actual slicing part due to rating censorship. "Nooo! Ayame! Get out of there!" Neptune called out in a british accent. She quickly ran up, knocking Ayame out of the way before attempting to counter the Galakryzer's giant strike, which ended in the sword being split in half and Neptune sent flying.

"Miss Neptune!" Ayame cried out. Komichi attempted to catch her, but Nep only landed on his head, knocking them both down.

"A-Ayame! Let us finish this!" Tekken called out. She ran up to the robot, with repeated, energized punches and kicks "Ten Hit Combo!"

"Ultimate Ninja Art: Red Scorpion! Hope you're in for some pain! Cause I have a killer deal going down!" Ayame summoned a shop stall, where she began tossing all sorts of nasty products at the Galakryzer.

"Secret Ninja Art: Thunder Charge!" Suraku pulled out a skateboard, rushing at the robot faster and faster as his little body engulfed in electricity. Smashing through one side of the Galakryzer and out the other, it exploded in a demonic, mechanical wail as it vanished in a combination of bloody mist and purple pixels.

Broccoli shook her head from the recoil of the Mekara Beam and Nep rolled over off of Komichi, whose neck was in pain. "Th-that was… very impressive… Suraku." Tekken replied.

"W-well… I um… Eeeh, thanks… I guess. Oh no, Komichi!" Suraku stuttered at hearing her praise before running over to his friend, who was holding his neck in pain. "What did you do, Neptiny!?"

"First of all, it's Nep-TUNE, kiddo. And… I kinda have this thing for falling out of the sky and landing on people." Nep smiled with a sweatdrop.

"You idiot! Komichi's hurt because of you!" Suraku growled.

"Heeeyyyy, watch the claws, kiddo. Im not exactly feeling 100% charged myself after that attack. If only I had been more of a hoarder with those Nep Bulls." Nep groaned, holding her side. Tekken and Broccoli came over to her, helping her up.

"Suraku. I… I will be fine. Let us head back to Gokudō." Komichi grunted. With a sudden guilty feeling, Neptune apologized, but Komichi only smiled. "You're alright, miss Neptune. It was my fault for not catching you properly. The important thing is, you potentially saved miss Ayame."

"Jeez, you're so formal. Let's just get goin' already!" Suraku grumbled.

"Neptune? C-can you walk?" Tekken asked with an arm under Nep's shoulder. Neptune began to speak but almost slipped out of Tekken's grasp as she let out a multi-yelping 'ow'. "H-hey, Ayame. Does your shop by chance have any medicine or first aid?"

"Oh, I never sold much in the line of either of that stuff, but let's go back and see what we can-… EEH!" Ayame's eyes popped.

"What's wrong? Did you see a bug, nyu?" Broccoli asked.

"M-m-m-m-m-m-my shop is DESTROOOOYYYYEED!" Ayame screamed.

"Oh, well hey. From what I saw, the monster only stepped on half your shop. See, the right half is still standing." Neptune nodded with her chin.

"And you, Neptune!" Ayame turned her angered gaze at a nervous Nep. "That sword you took cost 55000 Yen! Made from real tempered carbon steel from the Sengoku Era! And NOW IT'S SPLIT IN TWO!"

"I'm sorry, Ayame. I had no weapon to fight with. It was an emergency." Neptune's reply made Ayame fold her arms, starting to calm down. "Buuut, since it kinda got slashed right across the middle, I guess you could say it's… half off?"

Ayame screamed, steaming at Neptune's comment. "OOOHH if you weren't so injured, I'd GIVE YOU WHAT FOR, NEPTUUUUNE!"

Broccoli shook her head, her eyes closed flatly, "I feel her pain, nyu."

Tekken grinned a nervous sweatdrop "Do you mean, physically like Neptune's? or e-emotionally like miss Ayame?"

"Who do you think, nyu?" Broccoli replied.

* * *

"Miss Miyabi. A coded message from Miss Ryobi." One of the lesser shinobi students informed, Miyabi getting up to follow her to the security room. Inside, a group of specialist shinobi sat a desk full of buttons and levers below a giant wall of screens that showed locations of secret cameras. Across from it, another group of specialized shinobi sat below a locational map of all Hebijo hideouts for patrolling ninjas, with each locational hideout being marked by a set of Blue, Red, and Green lights respectively.

"So she's in Orochi Woods, then." Miyabi then turned to one of the shinobi specialists. "What is Ryobi's message?"

"She says 'I have found an intruder in our midst, and have her in my sight. She's no shinobi, but her outfit is suspicious. I've never seen this type of design anywhere.'"

"Probably some lost tourist. Tell her to pay them no heed unless they venture too close to Hebijo." Miyabi nearly dismissed it.

"Wait, Miss Miyabi. Miss Ryobi has more." The shinobi student responded, before Miyabi gave her a look to say 'continue'. "She reads 'I am getting suspicious vibes from her though. She wields some kind of firearm, but is not dressed like your typical hunter. She's small, but definitely not harmless. Kinda reminds me of Mirai in some ways. Her skull is in my scope. How should I proceed?'"


	9. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Marvy's Secret

Homura's Crimson Squad walked through the woods in silence, which was a big surprise for the lot of them considering Yomi, unlike her usual talkative self, merely walked back with eyes to the ground and folded arms. "Never thought I'd say this. But it feels… weird to not hear Yomi go on about something." Hikage broke the silence.

Agitation spilled from Yomi's mouth. "I just can't get over the fact that my emotions are a whirlpool right now! How did you put it, Mirai? A blender of confusion? I mean, one should not mix disturbing, cute, and tasty all into one! It's an abomination of nature!"

"Why not? I can do it all the time." Haruka smirked.

"Further proof that it's not natural." Mirai frowned.

"Still, what kind of creature is so disturbing as to catch miss Daidoji off guard while at the same time looking adorable enough to the point where I wanna spray whipped cream on top of it and save it in the refrigerator!? And to top it all off, it's that time of month for me so thinking about those bastards makes it worse!" Yomi huffed.

"Regardless of what happened, we should regroup and send a message to Master Suzune. These yoma are clearly not of this world." At this Homura stopped to look up where a giant set of ruins towered before them. The Crimson Squad stood in silence as they gazed up at the stone entrance with strangely marked pillars. "Haruka… Did we…"

"Take a wrong turn? If that's the case, maybe we all took my special medicine. I know our hideout's location like the back of my hand, as do all of you." Haruka's eyes then narrowed into a serious glare.

"Then what the hell are we all looking at? Assuming we're not completely insane." Mirai added.

"Insane? Aha! That's it then! We've gone insane! The yoma have infected our brains already and these new creatures have all been an illusion!" Yomi cried.

Homura instructed Yomi to calm down and Haruka came over placing a hand on her shoulder "There there, dear. Here, why don't you take a little bit of this." Haruka handed Yomi a bottle of green liquid.

Yomi yanked her arm away "As you know, Haruka, your reputation in… medicines are not trustworthy even among us!"

"Oh come now, Yomi hon. It's a natural peach-lime juice. It'll help with the monthlies and ease your nerves. No additives included on my part. Promise." Haruka smiled, giving Yomi a pat on the shoulder. Yomi eased up, drinking the bottle of juice.

"Be on your guard everyone." Homura and the rest of the squad drew their weapons as they slowly walked into the temple. The stones floors and walls were decorated with moss and grass as though the ruins had been there for decades, and yet strange, electronic, orange lightposts could be seen throughout the temple, along with the occasional ironic fence that appeared ancient in structure while emitting high-tech glowing lights. Rocks and vines created a veil that hid the odd hieroglyphs of the walls, which Mirai pointed out appeared to be in the English letter "H". At which point, the girls came to a halt.

"The path splits. Alright ladies, how we wanna do this?" Homura looked back at her team. After quite a bit of back and forth, it was decided that Hikage and Haruka would go down the left path and Homura, Mirai, and Yomi would head down the right.

* * *

The silence of the temple was like a blanket of dread, with only the girls' footsteps echoing through it's dark solitude. To break the silence, Haruka decided to strike up a conversation. "What do you make of all this, Hikage?"

"Suspicious for sure. I just wish I could understand these emotions. I felt kind of bad for Yomi back there." Hikage responded in her usual dry tone.

"But you realize you're getting better at these, Hikage dear." Haruka smiled, "You just said you felt bad for her. Empathy is an important part of emotions."

"Uh-uh. Didn't feel a thing." Hikage shook her head.

"Reeeaaally? Are you so sure, dear Hikage?" Hikage shivered as Haruka's finger ran from her lower back and up her spine. "Because there are other ways to test for that kind of thing." Haruka's sultry voice and tender neck massage made Hikage feel a slight hint of unease.

"You're acting like Katsuragi now, Haruka." Hikage showed her knife to Haruka, her eyebrows furrowing.

"See, you can show emotions given the right circumstances." Haruka backed off with a giggle.

"Don't do that again. I don't like those emotions."

"Don't tempt me. You're kinda cute when you whine like that, Hikage. Though nothing beats my Hibari." Suddenly Haruka and Hikage stopped as they heard something from around the corner. Ducking behind a rock, Haruka and Hikage peeked over to see an injured golem which was trapped underneath a cracked stone pillar.

"A yoma. But… like nothing I've ever seen." Haruka spoke

"Kinda reminds you of those False Wall yoma, right?" Hikage said, walking over to it with Haruka. The red, black, and yellow crystal golem swiped at them, but it could do nothing, being trapped under hard stone.

"Sort of." Haruka then looked down at the creature swiping at her. At one point it barely touched her leg, to which Haruka kicked it out of instinct. "Strange… It feels so… angry and yet… sad as though it's…"

"calling for help." Hikage finished. "What do you think it means?"

"No idea. But we should put it out of it's misery." Haruka then instructed her robot to crush what was left of the golem. Hikage folded her arms, curious of what that could have meant. Could yoma feel? And if so, did they feel more than her? It all gave her an turning feeling in the stomach when she found Haruka looking straight at her. "Hikage!... you're… frowning."

"No, I'm not. At least, I don't think I am." Hikage said.

"Not now of course, but just a moment ago you were-…" Haruka stopped. Along with Hikage, the two simultaneously turned their gaze down the dark catacomb of the ruins, sensing that something was approaching.

Around the bend a sharp-toothed skull with flaming blue eyes peered. While it was a lesser yoma that the girls were used to, the rest of the skull revealed itself to now have a body, which floated on a reddish-brown pillow and carried some kind of vitamin bottle. "Oh, I see you've been drinking your milk. Good, let us see how hard your bone really is." Haruka smirked, readying her robot and Hikage held out her knife in a battle stance.

* * *

"Ow, my freakin' head. Whose idea was it to just blind me out of the blue?" Noire complained, rubbing her head as she slowly began to get up "Was it you, Neptune?!... Neptune? Uni? Blanc? Vert, Plutia, Nepgear? Rom and Ram?" Noire looked around at the empty ruins of where she had been fighting. While evidence of the fight existed, she saw nothing but the ruins of Donkong around her.

Standing up, Noire picked up her long, black AMN Noire blade. The ruins, once alight with the heat of battle now drafted a cold wind up against her shoulders, which slapped her across the face with chilling isolation. "I am not a loner, I am not a loner, I am NOT a Loner!" Noire began looking around more frantically "Come on, there has to be something, right? Someone! A body, some wrecked equipment. Ah, my communicator!"

Noire placed on a headset and picked up her phone "Lastation Basilicom, this is Noire, come in… … … Lastation Basilicom, this is Noire! Can you put me through to contact with Kei Jinguji?" Noire looked down to see the 'no signal' output on her communicator. _I can't just stay here. I have to get back to Lastation and see just what the hell is going on. _Noire began walking cautiously towards the direction of what she thought was the exit. After a bit more walking, she found the wall of what was Donkong Ruins to be sealed off.

_How weird. _Noire's eyes scanned the area when she found a broken-down wall. _At least this way's clear_. Continuing through the new path she stepped over a mound of uprooted dirt and stone when she saw someone lying on the ground. Noticing a silver-grey shirt, with a slightly exposed back, that lead to a set of orange hair with a little M-like curl in the front, Noire rushed over.

"Marvy!? MARVY! Hey, are you okay!? Please say something!" Noire frantically began rubbing her shoulder which gradually turned into a more violent shake.

Marvy groaned as she began to open her eyes "Nng… Lady… Noire?"

"Marvy! Are you hurt!? Can you get up?"

Marvy slowly began to pull herself up "I… I believe so. What happened?"

"That's what I'd like to know. Here we are fighting off ASIC and the Seven Sages and suddenly powerful monsters like nothing I've ever fought come out of nowhere. And then, boom! Everything blacks out. Like if Neptune were here, she'd be like 'it's dangerous to go alone, Take Nep' something stupid like that!" Noire complained, getting up as she began pacing.

Marvy then got up "Oh nononono. Where did it go?"

"Hm? You say something, Marvy?"

"Ah… N-no no, Lady Noire. I am just as befuddled at current events as you are." Marvy spoke quickly, as she began walking beside Noire.

"Ah hah. Well, that didn't seem suspicious. I wonder about you, Marvelous. But I even more so wonder just why is there suddenly a curtain in a cave?!" Noire held out her arms at the velvet-pink curtains that stood ahead of the small opening they had just come out of.

"Huh. That's weird. I imagined exactly these type of curtains in a book I was writing." Marvy gazed upon the curtains with a curious awe as she proceeded to rub her face against them.

"I never knew you wrote, Marvy." Noire's eyes widened in surprise.

"I-it's mostly a hobby. I normally don't talk about it very much but… ooh. These curtains are they exact texture I imagined them to be. Such a nice texture." Marvy continued to nestle her face against them as she went to peek outside.

Noire rolled her eyes as she went to sit down in a chair within the enclosed curtain area. Placing on her headphones, she once again tried to reach the Basilicom, only to receive yet another failure to which she sighed. "This is stupid. Ruins shouldn't block signals like this. On top of that, what even happened? I remember engaging the enemy and then suddenly, absolute nothing!" Noire folded her arms "So what about you, Marvy? What do you make of all this no-… EEEP!"

Noire screamed as she became muffled by Marvy, who had jumped on her. MarvelousAQL shushed as she pointed to outside where they heard an unfamiliar voice go "I thought I heard something." Marvy jumped down in front of Noire, her hand reaching for her swords. Noire also did the same, placing her hand on the hilt of her blade. Noire gulped as along with Marvy, she could feel a tense atmosphere of a slowly drawing presence.

The tip of a blade poked through where the curtains separated, opening them to reveal a pair of girls, one bleach-blonde haired girl in a green tracksuit wielding a giant sword and the other, a tanned girl with a long, brown ponytail in a simple jeans and t-shirt attire, the former of which screamed, causing Marvy to scream to which Noire joined in, prompting the other girl to yell.

"Alright!" The tanned girl held out three katanas in one hand like claws, "Who are you and just what are you doing here in our cave?" Marvy suddenly began to stutter as if in fear.

"And more importantly, why are there ruins destroying our beloved cave? What did you do!?" the Blonde girl looked angrily as she held up her large sword. _What is her deal? _Noire thought, _And what is Marvy's deal? Seriously, has everyone gone crazy or something?_

Marvy continued to stutter "N-n-no! I-i-it can't be… Y-You're… Homura… but… that's not possible!"

"Hm? Can't say that I've seen your face before. Guess my reputation precedes me. Lemme guess, I attacked or killed a friend or family member and you were looking to get some honorary revenge, is that right? Not much of a surprise to me at this point." Homura sighed "Although if it is, this is the lamest assassination attempt I've ever seen."

"Indeed, but I would again ask just what did you do to our cave?" the blonde girl named Yomi spoke in a passive-aggressive tone.

Marvy continued to stutter in seeming fear but Noire folded her arms. "Alright, look. I don't know who YOU think you are or when these ruins suddenly became 'your cave', but listen. I am Lastation's goddess, Black Heart. and if you're from the guild I have a mind to report you to your superiors."

"Homura…" Yomi took a deep breath. "Ikaruga may have opened my eyes to see that background does not determine character… but this bitch is conveying the exact, condescending tone that I absolutely despise!"

Homura placed a hand on Yomi's shoulder "Calm down, Yomi. I'm sure they have a-…"

Noire placed her arms on her hips. "Excuse me!? First off, these ruins are off-limits for camping. Secondly, if you don't believe my goddess claim, then just watch." Noire spread her arms out, but nothing happened. "Wh-what?! Why is nothing happening?! Why can't I transform?!"

"You can't achieve transformation yet? Mind telling us whichever school sent you? Because whoever they are, they're the biggest joke to send lesser and timid shinobi on an assassination mission." Yomi had gotten into a defensive stance.

"Don't take that tone with me! I have no idea what you're talking about, but you renegades are coming with me to Lowee's Basilicom! Come on, Marvy. Let's round them up." Noire drew her blade into a battle stance.

"Renegades, huh? So, you've shown your true colors, miss 'goddess'." Homura said, drawing her three other blades in her left hand.

Marvy jumped up. "Wait! Stop! Homura, Yomi! This is just a big misunderstanding!"

"I see you've done your research on us. Clever little spy." Yomi loaded her wrist cannon "But it's not going to help you make it out alive!"

"Oh that does it, miss Sassypants! Say your prayers!" Noire lunged at Yomi, swiftly dodging to the side when Yomi swung her broadsword down. Leaping upward, Noire intended to come down on her enemy when she got blasted back by Yomi's wrist cannon. While she didn't take the full blast, Noire was sent rolling towards the other end of the cave. Groaning, Noire started to get back on her feet.

"Lady Noire!" Marvy called out as she leapt in front of Homura who swung her blazing blades wildly. Marvy was swift, countering Homura's strikes with swift accuracy, but Homura kept her on her toes. Marvy felt Homura's blades pressing hard against her own strikes, a feeling of ferocity she had not felt in a long time since her training days, as the second she would jump back, Homura would be right on top of her again. With a force of will, Marvy pushed Homura back, her eyes lit up and she began swinging her blades in a wild manner while saying "prepare to be shanked!" Homura, taken aback was barely able to block the attack as she recognized it as one of Hikage's Ninja Arts.

"Your research is impressive, spy. Maybe there's more to you than meets the eye. But I still wanna know what school you're from and why you remind me of someone." Homura said between swings. Marvy remained silent. "Fine then, keep your secrets in the grave with you!" Yomi came in with a leaping, circular swing, Marvy leapt backwards as the crimson shinobi began overwhelming her.

Suddenly a jolt of electricity shot through Homura. "Paralyze Fencer!" Noire's blade connected with Homura's sending a paralyzing jolt through her body, causing her to yell. "You take care of this one, Marvy! I'll deal with Sassypants, here!"

"As usual, the rich just love projecting their own condescending persona onto others, no matter who they are. Mind telling me how much you got that outfit for?" Yomi's eyes flare up.

"My attire is none of your concern, rebel. And I'm really getting' sick of that passive-aggressive attitude. So why don't we end this NOW!" Noire smirked confidently.

"I agree, bitch." Yomi unleashed a torrent of darts from her crossbow, causing Noire to leap behind a table. After the barrage was finished, Noire kicked the table at Yomi who sliced it down the middle like butter. Noire followed up with a leaping strike, almost catching Yomi off guard as the two clashed blades.

Homura meanwhile, crossed blades with Marvy who continued to say very little. "I sense so much from you, ambition, anger, fear, anxiety. I feel like I know you from somewhere and yet… I know nothing. So, ninja. You got a name at least?" Homura asked as she continued to strike against Marvy's blades.

"Marvelous… MarvelousAQL." Marvy replied.

"You expect me to believe that? Sounds more like a game developer. Not a ninja's name." Homura almost laughed.

"No, I suppose I don't. But maybe you'll believe this!" Marvy jumped back and crossed her own blades. "Secret Ninja Art: Dual Slash!"

"Wh-what?! That's…" Homura's eyes widened before she just barely blocked Marvy's attack, getting knocked back hard against the wall. Homura groaned to get on her feet as Marvy slowly approached, holding out her blades. "What's the matter? You had plenty of opportunity to finish me off. Why you look so worried?"

Marvy stood in silence, staring at Homura with a concerned frown. "Still no answer from ya, eh?! Then how about THIS!? CHARGE!" Marvy quickly leapt back and clung to an indented spot in the cave ceiling as Homura dashed and slashed all around the cave.

At the same time, Noire had pushed Yomi back, unleashing her signature Lace Ribbons attack, which collided with Homura's Charge at the same time. The result was a tornado of chaos which left Homura and Noire's outfits shredded, exposing their smooth but toned assets.

"AAAAHHAAA!" Yomi got completely stripped in the crossfire, her jiggle physics glimmering in the air as she launched upward, screaming before landing in a small pool of water nearby.

"Oowww, my outfit." Noire whined. Marvy jumped down from the ceiling and grabbed Noire's hand, running out with her before Homura and Yomi could regain composure. Once the pair got outside, they ran for quite a ways before they got a decent distance away from the ruins, stopping behind a grove of trees.

* * *

A sigh of frustration left the Lastation Goddess's mouth "Okay. Just what in Gamindustri is going on here!? First everyone is gone, some hoodlums take up refuge in Donkong Ruins and now my dress is all ripped up! What kind of shameless fanservice is this?"

Noire then noticed Marvy pacing back and forth frantically, biting her nails "They lived in a cave… it was all they could do after the incident. And her… the tan beauty who wields six swords like claws. She became their leader. Oh nononononononononononono."

"And you. What has gotten into you, MarvelousAQL? We meet those girls and suddenly you become a stuttering chicken. Like what gives? Did you know them or something?" Marvy barely made out the word "I" as she continued to stutter with a concerned face. "UGH! This is getting us nowhere. Did those girls do something to you in the past that caused trauma or what have you?"

Marvy shook her head. Noire attempted to move but fell down on her ass due to the injuries. Marvy seemed to break from her traumatic trance, "Lady Noire! You're hurt."

"Oh, what gave it away?" Noire sarcastically groaned.

"You'll be hidden here. Stay put until I return with Medicine!"

"Ah-… wait! Marvy!" Noire called out in protest but Marvy had run off.

* * *

"Really, Yomi? Do you know how many of us pitched in to buy that table?" Homura sighed.

"I-it was in the moment, Homura! I didn't know she was gonna throw our dinner table at me! Or even use it as a shield!" Yomi grumbled. "And now we're only left with a fraction! These damn ruins are forcing right through our beloved cave!" Yomi slumped down onto a nearby chair with a loud sigh, her voice trailing "I need a pad."

"Well at least you're not too hurt. We'll get ya fixed up in no time, Yomi. But what the hell is happening around these parts?" Homura rolled her eyes "It's not like Mirai to run off like that. And then that girl… Just who was she?"

"The spoiled rich brat?" Yomi asked.

"No, the quiet redhead. It's like I knew her from somewhere." Homura replied "But I know I've never seen her in my life. Furthermore, she used both Hikage's and Asuka's moves against me. As far as I'm aware, no shinobi has the ability of imitation. Not even Master Suzune."

"Hmm. Now that you mention it. She did know both our names… a Hebijo student perhaps? Miyabi never did claim to give up on her quest of hunting us down. She only seemed to forget about it."

"But using Asuka's move against us?... it's not like Hanzo to send an assassin. And we know them too well at this point." Homura shook her head. "They wouldn't…" Homura's mind began racing, trying to consider all possibilities.

Yomi had begun looking through their supplies. "What are you thinking, Homura?"

"I'm thinking we need to regroup and then talk about our next course of action. Too much is happening too fast, and I feel we're gonna have to be ready for something worse than the yoma."


	10. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 9

Chapter 9: False Fronts

B-Sha joined Histoire in the Basilicom meeting room, where the others had phoned in via holographic video. The Oracles, Gold Third, and Court members sat side-by-side from their respective factions with Affimojas and Steamax phoning in from another feed. "The emergency national conference will now commence." Histoire announced. "Now, are there any questions?"

"Just one." Chika spoke up. "Why exactly are the perv-bots in this meeting again?"

"For your information, Oracle, do not forget who put a vast investment into Leanbox's products on behalf of your Lady Vert." Affimojas replied.

"Because 'muh busty blondes' bla bla bla, bla bla bla. Nobody is taking Lady Vert from me! Especially now that after I've been gone for at least two whole entries!" Chika huffed.

"Nobody's interested in your lesbian tendencies, Chika." S-Sha replied.

"What the-… I do NOT have! Urgh! You see what she puts me through?" Chika pointed dramatically at S-Sha, whose eyes turned green in a moment's blink as she looked down sadly. "Ah, hey! Don't give me that junk again, E-Sha! Ya see! I'm serious this time! Ya see what she puts me though?! Her and E-Sha's personalities have begun to mold as of late!"

"Can we just please get on with it?" Yvoire sighed, placing a hand across his face.

"As usual, Leanbox has it together." Kei chuckled through a mild smirk.

"Indeed." Ganache added. "They really know how to turn up the heat."

"You say something, Lastation Head Manager?" Yvoire raised an eyebrow at Ganache.

"Heehee! Don't worry, Chika. I know how you feel about Vert." K-Sha giggled, folding her hands. "It's the same with me and Noire."

"No, it really isn't." B-Sha's face dripped with unamusement.

"Everyone. Please! This is not the time for idle bickering when we have an international crisis on our hands." Histoire tried to redirect the topic back to the issue at hand. "And Affimojas has been most helpful in lending us resource support. So we thank you, Affimojas and Steamax, for your contribution. But let us stay on the topic at hand. Mina, C-Sha, Financier; could you fill us in on your status?"

Mina nodded, "Since last contact with the CPUs, we have determined that the light which illuminated the Atari Area occurred about 1.8 hours ago."

Chika let out an extended 'okay' and B-Sha folded her arms "Like what exactly does that tell us?"

"I am not finished!" Mina scolded in a manner similar to Histoire. "Anyways, the truth of the matter is… … … It appears that Donkong Ruins has… disappeared."

"Disappeared?! Just what does that even mean?" K-Sha asked.

"It means just what it means. It vanished. As in it is no longer at its prior location." Kei stated plainly.

"That doesn't make any sense. Ruins don't just vanish." Affimojas replied.

"We don't exactly understand it either, but it's true." C-Sha explained, "I summoned the local guild to go scout out the area and they confirmed the reports. All that remains is some kind of hole floating on a primordial sea.

"Ooh! Maybe if we go down below the clouds and into the ocean we'll find a forgotten city with a big, metal papa in a diving suit!" B-Sha grinned.

"I had forgotten B-Sha spent a lot of her time with Neptune prior to the incident." Histoire sighed. "What else did the scouts find, C-Sha?"

"Not a thing. It was pretty bizarre. It's as if something just came and took a bite out of the very land itself. I truly have no other words for what we saw there." C-Sha responded.

"Might you have any pictures you can send?" S-Sha asked. "This has actually gotten very interesting."

"Yes, we do. I will transfer them to you now." Financier replied, proceeding to mail the unsettling photos to the other nations. The others looked upon the photos completely stupefied. What they saw was like a crater, dipping down slowly from the level ground it drove into. Only the further it sloped, the less ground there was until all that could be seen was a vast, wide-open sea of star-like nebula.

"Wh-what has happened? Are they dead? Is my Noire gone for good?!" K-Sha's voice trembled. The others reacted in their own ways.

"Please. Let us remain calm, everyone. We are still investigating the situation. I am sure the CPUs and all their friends have survived. This isn't the first time something like this has happened." Histoire tried to keep everyone together.

"Only this time, it was more than just Neptune dimension hopping." Ganache added. "With these circumstances, it would spell chaos for Gamindustri should they not return soon."

"Oh no! My darling Vert out there all alone!" Chika sweatdropped heavily.

"My Noire!" K-Sha whined.

"Quick, K-Sha. Virtual hug time, girlfriend!" Chika sent a quick hug emoticon to K-Sha, to which K-Sha texted back the favor. Yvoire sighed, rolling his eyes.

"A-actually. I did a bit of scouting on my own and found something." Steamax said.

"What!? You never told me you went scouting!" Affimojas exclaimed.

"Because you were the one who told me to go scouting, General!" Steamax blurted.

"NO I DI-… oh wait… yeah… I forgot." Affimojas replied awkwardly. One after the other, Steamax, Histoire and B-Sha, and then everyone else facepalmed simultaneously as if to reference an old movie meme. "What? A guy can have his off days."

"Robots can have off days? Pfft." Chika moaned.

S-Sha sighed "What did you find, Steamax?" A couple of bots brought in a thick, glass container with a dogoo in it, which frantically bounced around the container in a rampage. The Dogoo's gel-like body was a deep red with blackened tails and ears, and a set of yellow eyes. At one point it snapped at Steamax with sharp teeth, startling him onto the ground.

"Goodness. I have never seen a dogoo act like that before." Mina replied.

"And what to make of that palette swap? Like it's supposed to say? Hey, I'm evil or… edgier than the original." B-Sha wiggled her fingers in the air theatrically.

"No records of such a dogoo exists." Histoire then sighed sadly "I feel almost saddened for it. It looks to be in pain."

"Okay, but that still doesn't tell us anything about what happened." S-Sha folded her arms, not amused at the find.

"I recovered it from the scene of the incident." Steamax replied. "Clearly there was something more going on than just the disappearing ruins."

"A red dogoo. filled with rage like a surge of murderous intent." C-Sha mumbled to herself. The meeting soon drew to a close as they all came to the conclusion that they would continue the investigation. Steamax and Affimojas would arrive in Lowee with the delivery of the dogoo for further studies on Mina's part, who was then tasked with updating the others.

* * *

"Hey, hurry up old man! Those girls are gaining on us!" Linda's nervous breath spouted as she looked back with Iffy, Red, and Blanc pursuing their steps.

"I say we just leave him. He can distract the broads while we run away, chu!" Warechu scoffed as Mr. Badd caught up.

"You will do no such thing. You do and I'll send you off to a pet shop, Rat!" Mr. Badd growled.

"Just try and keep up, Mr. Moneybags." Linda laughed.

"At least I work hard for my moneybags. Hmph. Kids these days!" Badd grumbled.

"They're up ahead! Come on, Ladies!" Blanc shouted as IF followed closely behind her with Red panting and trailing after Iffy.

"H… Hold up, Iffy. I can't… go as fast on this terrain. There's a lot more… woods and rocks…" Red puffed up her cheeks, frowning, a loose tear on her eye.

"This is why you should have travelled around more on your wifey hunting sessions, Red." Iffy shook her head.

"Oh, come on!" Red grumbled. "You're supposed to look at me with warm, passionate eyes and be like 'oh poor Red, dear. You're so tired from all that harsh walking. Here, allow me.' Run your hand gently across my cheek and then pick me up in your arms and carry me across the threshold of this dangerous forest." Red's tone wandered off into a blissful daydream.

"Well excuse me, princess. You keep that up and I may just start running faster." Iffy's eyes sent an irritated glance Red's direction.

"Hey! What's the holdup?!" Blanc yelled. When Red complained that Iffy was leaving her behind and Iffy protested, agitation boiled to Blanc's face. "Is that so… then maybe…" the area of Blanc's eyes grew dark as a single red light emerged from her left eye. Blanc lifted her hammer, "I should help you along LOWEE SPORTS GOLF STYLE!"

"H-hey! Save it for the enemy, Lady Blanc! I'm coming!" Iffy began to sweatdrop.

Red gulped "I was just joking, hehe. I'm not that tired! So… let's chase those baddies!" Linda, Warechu, and Mr. Badd ran until they reached a red gate with a slanted roof which stood before a long stairway. The group hesitated, a chill running up Linda's spine when she looked back to see the girls in the distance.

"Welp, I'm not waiting around to get caught!" Linda began running up the stairs, Warechu and Badd following close behind. Upon reaching the top, they were met by two girls around some kind of shrine. One with short, orange hair and another with off-brown pigtails, they both wore traditional red and white temple dresses. A black waist belt was tied around with a rope, which looped around in the shape of a flower. As they dusted around the shrine, their attention was now directed at the strangers in their midst.

The one with pigtails narrowed her eyes "You know, the polite thing to do is to walk up the stairs on the right side. Not force your way up here like a disorganized herd of stampeding animals. Now is there something you want?"

"Yeah for you bimbos to get out of our way!" Linda spewed the words through gritted teeth.

"Linda, sweetheart. That is no way to talk to strangers. Where are those manners I taught you?" Badd said, turning to Linda.

"What the hell? 'sweetheart'?!" Linda's eyes widened in a WTF manner. Luckily for them, another girl came around who distracted the other two from their little farce.

"Kafuru. What is going on here?" A slightly taller girl with similar attire, light brown hair, and twin tails came around to where the others were.

"Oh, Kafu was just giving people smack, as usual." The orange haired girl laughed.

"Shut it, Hanabi." Kafuru turned to the other girl, "These strangers came stampeding up here and then threatened us!"

The taller girl turned towards the group but before she could answer, "Please, forgive our rudeness. But we have been fleeing from some crazed corporate whack jobs who want to experiment on my daughter!" Mr. Badd interrupted, Warechu and Linda exchanging awkward looks in silence.

Hanabi raised an eyebrow "She doesn't look like your daughter."

"That's just it! All her life, she's suffered from a rare skin condition that causes her to look so gravely."

"WHAT!?" Linda's eyes seemed to pop in offense, the shrine maidens reacting in confusion. Warechu gave Linda a light kick in the back of the leg, prompting her to improvise. "I mean what do you think you're doing telling people about that, f-father!?"

"Now now, sugar muffin. I have a good feeling we can trust these girls."

"Sugar Muffin?! Kyuhuhuhuhu, chu!" Warechu chuckled at Mr. Badd's comment but Linda gave him a brief glare and slight head shake.

"Renka, did that mouse just… talk?" Hanabi looked over at the taller girl, "but mice don't talk, right?"

"You're hearing things, Hanabi! And you're right, so don't think about it. You know what happens when you go thinking too hard." Renka told her.

"There you are! Now come along quietly you freakin' bastards!" came the aggressive voice of Blanc.

"Ah! They're here!" Badd cried, grabbing Linda by the hand and running behind the Mikaguras.

Linda held Warechu in her arms as though he were a pet. "Please don't take my rat! He's all I have left in this world!"

"Yowch! I'm getting squashed, chu!" Warechu uttered.

"What the-… Enough games! Come quietly and I MIGHT make your beating less severe!" Blanc growled, shaking her fist.

Renka held out her hand. "You will do no such thing. You are trespassing on sacred ground against those who only seek refuge. I will not allow violence on our shrine."

"Then do us a favor and step aside!" Blanc raised a giant white hammer.

"Are you threatening us? The Mikagura sisters don't take kindly to threats." Renka folded her arms.

"Yeah, especially when you wanna use suffering girls in experiments!" Hanabi shouted.

IF sighed "Let me guess. They appealed to your sense of kindness, told ya some crazy story about bein a family and tried to act all innocent. Believe us. They're hardened criminals."

Linda pretended to cry into Badd's arms "Don't let them take me away!"

"Maybe we should take them with us too." Red grinned "They would all make for cute wifeys!"

"Not helping, Red." Iffy muttered.

"Ugh!" Kafuru shuttered "Why would we believe you? You come here throwing tantrums like children, making threats on sacred ground, and then undressing us with your eyes. And you expect us to just hand over terrified people when we've no idea what you'll do to them?"

"To hell with that! Hand them over and you will avoid violence on your precious sacred place or whatnot. Those little punks are responsible for landing us in this whole mess!" Blanc yelled.

"Well aren't you quite short." Kafuru said, folding her arms.

"Wipe that smirk off your face!" Blanc growled. "Just what do ya mean by that!?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Kafuru scoffed, "Short temper, short in stature, short on intelligence and quite… top-lacking. You're the whole package. Kinda reminds me this other girl I know." IF and Red gulped at Kafuru's comment.

"Go inside! You'll be safe there!" Renka said to Mr. Badd and Linda, who quickly left the scene alongside Warechu. Renka then turned back towards the girls "You come here. Threaten them and us, disrespect our shrine, and take such a tone with us. I will give you one chance to leave right now."

Red and Iffy sweatdropped as Blanc looked down. Her voice, normal for a split second before going full circle. "Never… talk about a girl's bust like that… IF YA KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YA! I'll kill you, bitch!" revealing one red eye, Blanc screamed through sharpened teeth as she leapt forward in a vertical swinging motion towards Kafuru.

Blanc's hammer was parried, sending her backwards a bit. She looked up to see Hanabi with her giant, iron mallet. "So that's how you wanna play, is it?" Renka said. "Very well. We are the Mikagura Sisters! And we will not let you defile this place, ya bunch o' ruffians!"

"Damn it! I guess we have no choice now." Iffy attached her Qatars from under her coat. The battle erupted as the two parties charged. Well actually, Blanc recklessly charged and Iffy and Red followed after to back her up, the other two Mikaguras drawing their weapons.

"Drumsticks huh?" Blanc smirked, "Why don't you play us a dirge. It'll go good with your FUNERAL!" Blanc brought down her hammer to which Renka leapt back, ready to counter with her own attack. Chaos ensued as Iffy jumped up to attack Renka only to get smacked back by Hanabi who had jumped onto Blanc's grounded hammer. From here, Hanabi lost her balance as she had intended to attack Blanc. Hanabi fell on top of a charging Red, only for both to get blasted by Kafuru's high-pressure water guns and splashing both Blanc and Renka in the process.

"Damn it! You just had to get in my way, didn't you?!" Kafuru whined.

"Watch where you're shootin' next time, sis!" Renka complained. A gasp left Renka's mouth as she just barely dodged another hammer strike, the impact knocking her off her feet.

"HAHAHAHA, It's your fault for gabbing in the midst of a battle! Now hold still so I can play Whack-a-Bitch!" Blanc shouted. Renka's eyes widened, rolling to one side and then another as Blanc kept trying to hit her. Blanc then heard Iffy call out to her. Turning around, Blanc directed her hammer strike to counter Hanabi's. Iffy had gotten to her feet and was trying to sneak up on Hanabi from behind.

"Oh no, you don't." Kafuru took aim when she suddenly got tackled to the ground.

"Gotcha!" Red called looking down at Kafuru. "Wow, you're cute. If you weren't an enemy, I'd call you my gripey wifey!"

"G-get off, you lecherous dumbass!" Kafuru stuttered as she began wrestling with Red. Iffy ran up behind Hanabi, ready to strike when she traded blows with Renka. Iffy and Renka parried and and swung, jabbed and blocked a fiery determination in both of their eyes.

Locked in a hammer chokehold, Hanabi looked at Blanc with pleading eyes "Why are you doing this?!"

"Are you truly that naïve? That man, woman, and mouse you're housing have contributed to the chaos that ensued and will continue to ensue across Gamindustri!" Blanc shouted.

"G-Game Industry!? What game industry!? Something tells me we shouldn't be fighting!" Hanabi let loose from the hammerlock as she jumped back, dropping a small firework bomb, prompting Blanc to leap backwards from it.

"Aw, did we just have a misunderstanding? Let's be friends." Blanc beamed, tilting her head.

"Really?" A confused Hanabi asked.

Suddenly Blanc revealed a red eye as she shouted through sharp teeth, "Did ya really think I was gonna say that, ya little idiot!? Getter Ravine!" Blanc ran forward and leapt up ready to bring her hammer down. Hanabi gulped, quickly placing her hammer on the ground, allowing the face to open as it unleashed a Super Mega Bomber, shooting fireworks out with Blanc taking the full blast.

Blanc screamed, the bottom half of her dress ripping to reveal her spotted blue and white panties with a few spots on her upper dress tearing, including one of her spaghetti straps snapping to expose her shoulder. As she landed on the floor, Hanabi sighed, wiping her arm across her forehead, but Blanc slowly got back on her feet.

Renka gradually began to push Iffy back due to her height, but Iffy used it to her advantage. Moving aside, Iffy forced Renka to regain her balance and used the opportunity to strike. "Soul Combination!" Iffy struck Renka several times, though not making any lethal strikes, Renka's outfit shredded as she began to bleed from her cuts, the Shrine maiden staggering backwards onto the ground.

"Sorry, but we're not about to let anyone stand in our way." Iffy swung her arms in a spell-like manner. "LA DELPHINUS!" a bright light appeared beneath Renka before engulfing her. Renka screamed, falling down on her back, her outfit next to nothing but threads now.

"You… think I'm finished?" Renka groaned, panting from her injuries. "Shinobi… Transformation." Iffy watched as Renka gained a brownish-red and white two-piece outfit, struggling to her feet.

"Even if you change outfits, it makes no difference. So just give in already. There's no point in further fighting." IF folded her arms.

"Let your guard down." Renka quickly summoned a set of Taiko drums, beating on them. Before IF knew it, she was engulfed in a purple sphere which electrocuted her. "VIOLET LIGHTNING!" Renka beat faster on the drums before letting out one final drum, blasting Iffy backwards towards the top of the stairs, tearing apart her coat and ripping parts of her black, skin-tight strapless dress.

Meanwhile Red continued to battle it out with Kafuru, the two rolling in the dirt as they wrestled. "Oooh. Hehehe. You're soft and squishy, but not so big that you're all jiggly and such." Red giggled, nestling her face against Kafuru's bosom.

"AAAAAHHH! GET OFF, GET OFF, GET OFF!" Kafuru kicked Red off of her, rolling to the side before getting up. "Now you're gonna get it!" Kafuru took shot after shot, with Red running behind bushes, trees, and small statues as Kafuru's high-pressured shots blasted bark off the trees and putting small cracks into the stone statues.

"Ooh, now you're trying to make me wet. Hehe. You naughty naughty girl, Kafuru." Red laughed as Kafuru continued to yell before she leapt out, slinging yoyos at Kafuru and binding her arms, forcing Kafuru's arms up. "Aw, don't be a mad wittle girl."

"Says the one using toys to fight with!" Kafuru grunted.

"You're fighting with toys as well." Red frowned.

"I am not! These are magical, high-pressure water guns!" Kafuru protested.

"They still look like toys." Red commented, unamused, despite Kafuru's shouts of agony. "But whatcha gonna do now that I have you all bound?"

"Heheh. You think you've won just cause you stopped my main weapon? You're stupider than you look and even more than you sound." Kafuru grabbed her whistle in her mouth and blew. "Luka! Come to me!"

Red watched as a strange looking dolphin with bandages and a crown on it's head was summoned. "Let's go, Luka! Storm Jet Rider!" Kafuru performed a small jump, the strange dolphin sliding under her before they rammed straight into Red, Red's outfit tearing at the ends as they forced her back. Loosening her grip on Kafuru, Red was sent bouncing down the long stairway from the Shrine with an 'ow ow ow'.

A loud crash could be heard. Renka and Kafuru looked over to see Hanabi smashed against the back wall of the shrine, groaning with squiggle eyes, the latter crying out her middle sister's name. Blanc standing where Hanabi once stood. "H-h-han… abi…" Renka barely called out, still injured from her fight with IF.

Blanc looked back at Renka, who struggle to stand up, and then turned her hammer at Kafuru who now had both guns pointed at Blanc. "Lady Blanc…" Iffy groaned, still on the ground. "I am… beaten… Red is down."

"What!? I don't see her!" Blanc exclaimed.

"Literally. She's down." Iffy motioned slightly with her head as Blanc rushed over to her and then looked down the stairway.

"I'm okay… I think." Red called back up before Blanc turned back to IF.

"Iffy! Let's get you out of here!" Blanc turned to the Mikagura sisters as she held on tightly to Iffy. "This isn't over! I'll have you all put behind bars." Making her way down to the bottom of the stairs, Blanc found a dizzy and bruised Red. "Red! Help me with Iffy!" Putting her arms around IF, Red and Blanc helped a limping Iffy to retreat from the Shrine.

Kafuru looked down, making sure that they had left before turning back to see Renka limping towards her, reaching her hand out. Renka breathed deep and heavy, "Kafuru… See to it that… Hanabi is… safe…" Renka's vision faded to black as she fell down.

"RENKA NOOOO!" Kafuru's voice thundered as she watched her sister fall.


	11. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Pink Slip

Compa let an exhausted sigh from her mouth. Wandering the streets of a place that was apparently called Asakusa, she had asked several people where she was but each party only ended in the other being confused. All around her people lined the streets. An array of shops with vibrant red lanterns lined both sides of the streets, causing Compa's breath to tighten slowly as if they were closing in on her. The intoxicating smell of food taunted her, as Compa looked down into her hand at her Gamindustri credits with a slight tear in her eye.

"So… tired… money… not valid… need food…" Compa groaned through her frowning mouth and crossed eyes. Suddenly Compa slammed right into someone, knocking all their groceries out of their hands. "Oh! I am so sorry about that! I wasn't looking where I was going."

The girl she knocked into appeared to be a school student in a white uniform and dark-blue skirt. Shaking her fluffy pink hair around, she straightened her topmost black ribbon. "Oh no, I'm sorry! I was lost in thought and thought I could make a shortcut through here! I should have known better."

"Oh, still I ran into you! Here, let me help you pick up your things." Compa then began putting the girl's things back into her bags.

"Oh no, you don't have to do that! It was my fault." The girl smiled, waving her hands in minor protest.

"Unthinkable!" Compa raised her voice a tone. "It was I who ran into you. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't help out." The girl gave in as Compa picked up the various items, helping her retrieve them. But as she helped, Compa couldn't help but drool at the various products the girl had. Garlic Egg Donburi, Udon Noodles, Yakitori packs, cans of Miso, packets of Spicy Tempura, fresh Mentaiko, and all forms of sushi caused Compa's mouth to tremble as she bit her lip.

"Pardon me, miss. But I didn't catch your name." the girl said.

"Oh! It's Compa. And yours?" Compa replied.

"My name is Hibari." The girl smiled.

A warm smile radiated from Compa, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Hibari… Wow, your eyes are so pretty."

"Hehe, thank you but they really aren't that pretty." Hibari smiled a bit, breaking eye contact as her pupils drifted to the ground.

"Oh, don't be silly. I have a friend with eyes just like that. Only… I think hers looked like music notes… or something." Compa said to which Hibari looked back up.

"Really? Someone who has eyes like mine? Hmm…" Not wanting to linger on the subject, Hibari quickly backtracked, "But were you okay, Miss Compa? You started slowing down more and more just a moment ago there." Hibari asked with concern in her eyes.

"You've just got some really delicious looking products, Hibari. Can I call you Hibbi?" Compa finished picking up the remainder of the packages and helped Hibari get a grip on them.

"Sure, I guess. But this food is kinda common." By now Hibari suspected Compa of being a foreigner. Hibari's eyes widened as she heard a stomach growl which wasn't hers. Compa scrunched her face in embarrassment. "You haven't eaten in a while, have you? Do you not have any money?"

"I have plenty of money, Hibbi. But everywhere I go says that my money isn't valid." Compa almost whined before showing Hibari a Gamindustri credit. Hibari's eyes sparkled at the shiny golden coin with a C embroidered into it.

"It's so shiny. I've never seen a coin like this in my life." Hibari looked at Compa, having an strangely good feeling about her. _She doesn't feel like a Shinobi. But then again, I don't come off the type either at first. Still, she can't be an enemy. _Hibari then grabbed Compa by the hand. "Miss Compa. Let me buy you something to eat. It's the least I can do after you helped me out like that. And then I'll help you find a foreign currency exchange."

"Thank you, Hibbi. But I already tried that. They said my currency didn't exist. Which is total nutters, as a friend of mine would say. Besides, all I did was help you with your groceries. You don't have to buy me food over that." Compa smiled lightly.

Hibari shook her head. "Mm, mm! I can't pass up somebody in need like this. Besides, if they denied your currency, then what are you gonna do?!" Compa went silent. "At least let me buy you something."

"Thank you, Hibbi." Compa smiled. "But if that's the case, then I'm gonna help you carry all those heavy groceries. Wouldn't want ya to fall again."

"Oh, but you've done enough." Hibari replied.

"Nonsense. You're being kind to me, so I'm gonna return the favor." Compa giggled in a way that made Hibari feel like warm inside, causing her to smile back, thanking Compa. Hibari and Compa continued their walk through the streets, where Compa learned she was in the Nakamise shopping street of Asakusa. Hibari, who's curiosity started as a spark, was now blooming into a slowly anxious intrigue. Guiding her by the hand, Hibari took Compa around, allowing her to pick from a large assortment of street food, which caused Compas eyes to flood in amazement and her taste buds to explode in ecstasy. But by the end of it, Hibari's funds were crying.

"Mmm! Thank you so much, Hibbi. That was absolutely delish." Compa groaned happily.

"Ooh, but I didn't watch my spending and now I have only 81 yen left!" Hibari pouted a teary-eyed frown.

"If only I could find some way to repay your kindness, Hibari. Carrying your groceries around is the least I can do."

"Mm, mm." Hibari shook her head, "you've done enough, Compa. You're so kind. All I did was help somebody in need after I carelessly bumped into them."

"Oh don't be silly, Hibbi. I was the dumb-dumb for bumping into you." Compa gave a slight grin, scratching the back of her head.

"But you were light-headed from lack of food. It's not your fault. I still can't believe they thought you were lying. It's not fair!" Hibari puffed her cheeks in a frustratedly cute way, which made Compa desu.

"Aw, I don't think they thought I was lying, Hibbi. They just didn't believe that my currency was real."

"That's the same thing!" Hibari retorted before asking to see Compa's currency again, feeling it's weight. "Ya see, even though I've never seen a currency like this… How can someone as nice as you be a liar?" Hibari said. Compa thanked her, offering her some mochi ice cream. Hibari leaned forward for some, but lost her balance slightly. Though able to catch her balance, she fell forward, smashing her little nose into the mochi. Holding her nose with both hands, Hibari shook her head shrieking "Cold, cold, cold!" with the most adorable scrunched eyes to which Compa couldn't help but giggle, which then turned into a laugh.

"I'm sorry, Hibbi. Your face was just priceless! I couldn't help it-… AAH!" Compa yelped as Hibari took the Mochi that she had nosed in and rubbed it on Compa's cheeks.

"Hmph! You need a makeover, Compa!" Hibari then watched Compa rub her cheeks while letting out a stuttering cry. "Hehe. You look so much prettier with makeup!" Hibari giggled.

"Hibbi, you meanie!" Compa pouted but then couldn't help but chuckle, with both girls sharing in the laughter of the moment before Hibari reached into one of her grocery bags, pulling out some napkins.

"So where is this Gamindustri?" Hibari asked.

"I… I don't know. I was chasing some bad people. Suddenly… everything went white and I ended up here. I know you probably think I'm crazy, Hibbi." Compa's eyes dropped to the ground, her tone going down.

"Mm, mm!" Hibari shook her head, "Like I told you before. Someone like you couldn't be a liar so I believe you, Compa. Besides, stranger things have happened."

"Oh? You mean like a secret research lab doing human experiments and trying to open a dimensional rift? Upside down stuff like that?" Compa asked. Hibari had question marks above her head to which Compa simply sweatdropped an "oh, nevermind."

"So what about these bad people? What do they want?" Hibari asked.

"They're enemies we've all fought in the past. They wanna bring about Gamindustri's destruction. The only thing is, we thought we defeated some of them. And others shouldn't even know each other. Next thing we know, they're holding two of our friends hostage and plan on releasing a bunch of monsters into the world! We managed to rescue them, but a fight broke out. Suddenly I was blinded… and I haven't seen any of them since." Worry floated on Compa's tone.

Hibari asked if they would be alright but secretly wondered about the "monsters" part. Compa applauded her friends on their combat abilities. "So… you're all fighters, eh?"

Compa chuckled, "I know I don't look like it, but I am your resident combat healer as Lady Vert and Nep-nep call me." Just then several officers in blue uniforms approached them, which Hibari recognized as Japanese police.

"Are you Miss Compa?" One officer asked. When Compa confirmed he told her that she was under arrest for false ID and counterfeit currency. Compa nervously began to protest as she showed her Gamindustri ID with the words 'citizen of Planeptune' on a large, thick card that looked almost like an old gaming cartridge. The police appeared to hold back laughter as they proceeded to grab Compa's wrists, despite her disapproval.

Hibari stepped forward, Compa sensing a slight glimmer from her eyes. "I am sorry, Officer. My friend is a little bit ditsy. She means no harm and is not the person you're looking for."

The one officer nodded his head, but the other two gave him strange looks as he let go of Compa saying. "Yes. Me make big oopsy. Your friend is good girl." The officer's tone was flat as he gave Compa an eerily robotic head pat, Hibari making sure she kept eye contact.

"Hey! Wait a second. What are you up to?" One of the other officers said, stepping in front of Hibari. Hibari stuttered and the officer who let Compa go staggered backwards, holding his head as though he had a hangover.

"What just happened?" He said as his other comrade came over to his side. "That girl looked at me and I don't remember a thing!"

Hibari muttered an 'uh oh' to which the Officer who'd gotten in her way said "Alright. You're both under arrest." Hibari gulped, feeling her heart pumping faster with her hyperventilating breath moving in sync. Time seemed to slow down as a drop of sweat trickled off the side of her hair, hitting the floor with a drip nobody could hear. "Now come along quietly and cooperate." The officer said.

"I-i… I'm sorry!" Hibari cried, turning around quickly, closing her eyes as she dropped a smoke bomb out from under her skirt. The area was engulfed as Compa began coughing along with the police. A hand grabbed her wrist and suddenly she found herself running alongside Hibari who was taking the lead.

"Hibbi?! What was that back there!? Aren't we gonna be in more trouble if we run from the police?"

"Uh uh! I know a good spot we can hide! Come on, Compa!" Hibari lead Compa through alleyways, down the street and through some suburban homes before they reached the back of a school yard. Compa looked upon the school in all it's glory, most notably it's size, which she noted that Planeptune had few schools that grew close to that size.

Hibari lead Compa to the entrance, guiding her through security measures first before finding a remote room full of seasonal school supplies that were not in use. Hibari then proceeded to take the groceries off of Compa. "Stay here for now, Compa! I have a few things to take care of, but I'll be back in a little bit. I promise."

"Um… A-alright but… What's going on, Hibbi? Who are you exac-…" Before Compa could finish, Hibari dashed off with a 'gotta go!', leaving Compa in the mostly dark room with only a spot of sunshine coming through a single window at the other end. Compa began looking around out of curiosity, at the various supplies before she sat down in a chair and picked up a volleyball with a mysterious looking note on it.

* * *

Hibari casually walked back into the familiar sight of the Hanzo ninja room. Opening the sliding Shoji doors, she announced "Hey guys, I'm back."

"Where the hell have you been!?" a slightly angry Yagyu said, folding her arms.

"Y-Yagyu!? What is going on!?" Hibari took a confused step back.

"We've been trying to reach you. Ikaruga went missing and was most likely kidnapped!" Yagyu's face was as grave as her tone. Hibari looked over at the small sushi bar where Daidoji sat, with her face down; Asuka in the next seat over, trying to comfort her.

"I should have gone with her… I _**SHOULD **_have gone with her! Damn those Gokudō scumbags! They WILL rue the day when I-… Augh, Ow!" Daidoji had stood up, shaking her fist in the air, only to recoil in pain. "Damnit! If it wasn't for that gooey blue mutt!" Asuka tried to calm her down as she helped Daidoji back into her chair, who took a swig from a large mug of Whiskey before continuing to ramble in a depressed manner.

"Ikaruga's been captured?!" Hibari walked up with Yagyu to where Kiriya was speaking with Katsuragi, showing her where he suspected Ikaruga's supposed captors of being.

"Sensei, might I please see the item?" Yagyu asked. Kiriya then handed her the hilt of a broken three-pronged weapon as she then showed it to Hibari. At the base of the hilt was a symbol depicting a Koi fish and a dragon, their tales starting up the middle before the remainder of their bodies bent into the shape of a diamond.

"I've never seen that symbol before." Hibari gazed upon it, a chilling tinge crawling up her spine.

"Neither have any of us until today." Katsuragi commented. "Apparently they operate in secret even by shinobi standards or something?" Katsuragi looked at Kiriya, subtly asking for details.

"The Gokudo Academy for Boys, also known as the Secret Gokudo Boys Academy, has a habit of keeping a very low profile. They're an evil shinobi school, with discrepancy being on a similar scale to the Yoma. If I recall correctly, they're cleverly disguised as a psychotherapy department." Kiriya informed.

"But… that doesn't make any sense." Hibari scratched her chin. "If they wanna be so secretive, why print their symbol on a weapon? And why kidnap Ikaruga?"

"I've been wondering the same things, myself." Kiriya commented, "This kind of act, against another shinobi school no less, violates their very code of discretion."

"Poor Ikaruga. So what happened?" Hibari asked.

"I'll tell you what." Came the scratched voice of Daidoji. "Ikaruga along with Yomi and Murakumo saved me from that jelly bastard. Afterwards, Yomi and Murakumo went their own ways as Ikaruga helped me back here. Kiriya was out on business with the higher Shinobi Council, looking into these recent events. Shortly after that an intruder triggered the alarm and she went to investigate. I tried to come with her, but she insisted that I stay, and my body was screaming at me. It was Master Kiriya who detected the Shinobi Kekkai and found the aftermath. Funny… the one time I am not stubborn… and it comes back to haunt me." Daidoji let a small tear form in her eye.

"Again, if you had been your usual self, you might have been captured along with Ikaruga or even worse, not even here with us now. Do not be so hard on yourself, Daidoji." Kiriya replied.

"But Sensei! It's not your fault, it's mine!" Daidoji began sobbing, "You believe me, don't you, Asuka!?" She began shaking Asuka by the shoulders before swallowing the rest of the whiskey and letting out a burp. "I'm not drunk! I promise!"

Kiriya sighed and Katsuragi, Yagyu, and Hibari reacted with rolling eyes, sweatdrops, and face palms. "At ease, Daidoji. Here, have a cucumber futomaki." Asuka offered, Daidoji snatching it up fast as she munched into it.

"Sneaking into their school should be a non-issue if you disguise yourself as one of their business clients, too." Kiriya added. "We can go over them in more details before you leave."

"It's still pretty mysterious as to why this Gokudo school would do such a thing, but even more so…" Katsuragi then turned to Kiriya, "How do you know about them, Sensei?"

"Everyone in the Shinobi Council and faculty is aware of them. Simple as that." Kiriya replied.

"Kiriya Sensei… are you sure about that?" Asuka raised an eyebrow, but Kiriya was quick to shut down the discussion, which Hibari took note of.

"But there's still something missing." Yagyu stated, her eyes turning straight at Hibari. "That amount of groceries should not have even taken half the time you took. Where did you go this entire time?!"

"Ehehehehe, weeeelll… about thaaaaat." Hibari nervously scratched the back of her head.

"Lemme guess, did some nasty perverts try to get their way with our poor, innocent Hibari?" Katsuragi grinned goofily as her fingers squeezed the air in a groping manner, slightly moving closer to her.

"You wanna lose an eye, Katsu?" Yagyu glared.

"Eeeeegh. Learn to take a joke, Yagyu." Katsu rolled her eyes.

"It's no joke if you're corrupting Hibari."

"Look, we all love Hibari, but how about you just let her grow on her own? Always Hibari this, Hibari that. She can do things on her own, you know." Katsu's frown then turned into a cat like smile. "Maybe you need to loosen up a bit!"

Yagyu blushed angrily as a giggling Katsu jiggled her jugs, "I swear, Katsuragi! I am going to kill your ass!"

"Katsu-ne. Leave Yagyu alone." Asuka said. "And besides, let's allow Hibari to finish what she's saying!" At this, the rest of the class turned their eyes on Hibari, except for Daidoji who was talking to the remainder of her futomaki roll, which she had dissected and turned into the shape of a kappa.

Hibari's muscles tensed, an uncomfortable pressure seemed to cloak over her head as it slowly draped down the rest of her body until her little legs began to shake. "U-u-um… Well… Iiii met somebody… and… she was in trouble… so I… helped her. Aaaand I figured she could come here sinccceeee she had nowhere else safe to goooo. Hehe. Hee."

"Are you telling me you let a stranger into Hanzo Academy's ninja sector?! Hibari, what have they done to you!?" Yagyu said before tackling Hibari to the ground, running her hands all over her. "How is your stomach?! Are you bleeding?! Any new suspicious accessories you pick up?! Are your eyes still pink?! Are your panties still striped!?"

With the last one, Yagyu stuck her face down towards Hibari's ass, only to get booted off by an angry Hibari. "Chill out, mommy Yaggy." Katsuragi rolled her eyes, then pointing at Hibari "And you. Were you born yesterday?! Keeping your shinobi identity a secret is something you learn even before enrolling! Do you know what kind of repercussions you could cause if you just go letting any normal person know!?"

Hibari yelped but then Yagyu stepped in "Hey. Don't yell at her, I'm sure she has a valid explanation for…"

"That's enough, Yagyu!" Kiriya's voice echoed.

"Yeah, Yagyu. Dat's enough!" a still intoxicated Daidoji waved her Kappa shaped futomaki at the group while flexing her voice in a strange manner.

"Go back to sleep, Daidoji." Kiriya sweatdropped before returning to the topic. "Your interjection on Hibari's behalf needs to cease, Yagyu! You cannot keep fighting her battles for her, whether they be physical or mental! Katsuragi is in her every right to be upset! Violating rules of this kind usually mean consequences of death according to the shinobi laws." Hibari gulped, Yagyu placing an arm in front of her. "But, Yagyu also has a point. I am sure she has a good reason. So please tell us, Hibari."

"Uh… hehe. Well, if it helps, she doesn't really know that I'm a shinobi. The poor girl didn't even know what area of Japan she was in." Hibari's lips trembled as she tried to improve the situation.

"And you believed her? Hibari, for your own safety, do not talk to strangers when I'm-… or… none of us are around. Any one of these clueless foreigners could be a spy." Yagyu cleared her throat.

"She's not a spy! She's too kind a person to be one! Besides, she might know something about the mysterious monsters that have been helping the yoma!" Hibari rebutted. Just then a scream could be heard down the hall. "Compa!" Hibari gasped, dashing down the halls. The others followed, with Daidoji staggering behind.

* * *

Hibari ran into the storage room where she had left Compa only to find that the girl was now strapped to a chair with bound ropes squeezing her around. Hibari cried out to Compa. The others soon caught up in time to her Compa cry out "Hibbi! Please help meee!"

"Hibbi?" the nickname seemed to irked Yagyu's very blood for some reason. _There's something about this Compa. I don't like her. _

Asuka's eyes widened "What the actual hell?! Hey, you! Don't move! If you keep struggling it will squeeze tighter and your clothes will-…" before Asuka could finish, Compa screamed, the tight rope her outfit tearing and leaving her in shreds, exposing her smooth skin as the tips of her hair let down over her bare shoulders. Compa looked up at Hibari, teary-eyed and blushing from embarrassment.

"Asuka…" Kiriya sighed, "What is that chair doing in _THIS _room?"

"Ehehe. Well… after that original incident with us, Ikaruga got angry and decided to throw both the chair and the volleyball into this room. It seems Hibari's new friend got a hold of both somehow." Asuka confessed.

"Ha! Gotcha intruder! Ooh. Well aren't you a well endowed one. Lemme give you the Hanzo Academy Welcome." Katsuragi laughed lecherously, air-groping towards Compa.

"InDEEEEED. Da Hannzo greeting of Aca-daymia! Allorw mee ta join ya Katsu-ne!" Daidoji laughed in a maniacal manner that was both equal parts silly and scary.

"Katsu-NO!" Hibari protested. "And stop, Daidoji! You're drunk!"

"Squeezy, squeezy!" Katsuragi and Daidoji began squeezing Compa's melons while chuckling.

"How could you do this to me, Hibbi!? I thought we were friiiieeeends!" Compa cried.

"N-no! It's not like this at all! This is all wrong! Oh, I messed uuupp!" Hibari let out an exasperated cry through an adorably scrunched up face.


	12. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Family in Her Heart

"It's settled, then!" Yozakura brought her palm down onto the table, slamming it with anticipation. Shiki, Murakumo, and Minori, however, lacked her enthusiasm. "Minori and Murakumo will trail Yumi and make sure she's alright. You, Shiki, will come with me to investigate!"

Shiki puckered her lips in a pouty manner. "Like, what's your damage, Yozie? Minori and I are like totes pooped over that last encounter. Can't ya at least let us rest a bit?"

"Mm, hmm! Minori doesn't wanna go play Shinobi right now! And those yoma were scary!" Minori pouted, folding her arms.

"Besides, Yozakura. Someone has to keep track of Gessen. Especially when we know nothing about these Yoma." Murakumo added behind her mask.

"You bunch of idiots!" Yozakura scolded. "Don't you see this is exactly why we must go out and investigate. Yumi was right! Those lazy, careless thoughts of yours are nothing but evil. Evil. Evil! They must be purged! Can you call yourselves good Shinobi if you're acting like a bunch of high schoolers?!"

"Um… Yozie. We kinda are." Shiki gave a flat-faced look of disapproval.

"Irrelevant, Shiki! Besides, we have a very qualified faculty. I'm sure Gessen will be just fine." Yozakura pointed. "This new threat, whether they be Yoma or not, is out to upset the balance of justice in this world and we cannot allow that! If Hebijo and Hanzo fight this off while we sit idle, what does that make us?" Silence swept the room as the other girls looked down. Yozakura's tone grew to a low disappointment. "If you can't see that then maybe you're not fit to be shinobi."

"I suppose you're right." Murakumo stood up, "If good sits back and submits it is no longer good."

Shiki looked down at her phone, which she hadn't answered in several hours. Thoughts of her non-shinobi gyaru friends circled in her head as saw the notification from Shizue going 'what's happenin' Sheeks? This is so not like you. You're worrying us all.' That strange bird horse creature had been contained in their barrier during most of the fight, but if it hadn't, her friends and even other people might have gotten hurt. Shiki let out a conflicted sigh as she stood up too, nodding in agreement.

Minori's angry pouty face soon turned into a shameful frown. "Mm! You no leave Minori behind!" Murakumo then watched as Minori jumped up and latched onto her arm.

Yozakura smiled, "I'm glad you agree. Now then, let us be off. Murakumo, Minori. Make sure you don't get in too close! Yumi's our leader for a reason, she can detect you a kilometer away!" The Gessen girls gave each other a nod.

Heading over to Shinjuku Gyoen Park, Yozakura and Shiki paid the fine to get in as they began strolling around with other locals, though it wasn't a very busy day for the park. Yozakura stretched her arms, smiling as she took in the clean, spring air of the park, her eye absorbing the cherry blossom leaves, rippling into the nearby lake as if each blossom was a chord playing a tune on a watery instrument.

"Um… Yozie. Like, what exactly we doin' strollin' around in a park? I totally don't see how this is helping our ninjer jobs." Shiki said.

"Oh Shiki, you silly. Ninja 101; think like a Kunoichi. Sometimes the shadows you work in are those you blend into. You must really be stressed out with everything that's been happening." Yozakura commented.

"OMG, like what gave it away, Yozie!?" Shiki snapped "First of all, it's bad enough dealing with these bogus new yoma and their grody combinations. Like, fer real?! A horse bird?! Go bag your face and take a cold shower! Secondly, It's bad enough that my friends are already suspicious of my quote 'school story' that I've continuously, like, have to edit, but Shizue caught me in my Shinobi outfit and I totally looked like a slutty preppie!"

"Wait. Your friend saw you in your Shinobi clothes?" Yozakura looked at Shiki.

"NO DUH SHE SAW ME! Shinobi Kekkais aren't easy, ya know! And it's not like I could just fight in the mall without a Kekkai!" Shiki's face now consisted of a very cartoony set of angry, pupiless eyes as she bore over-the-top, sharp teeth. "And now I like, don't even know WHERE the hell we're supposed to be going! Like, you never told me what you discussed with Yu and Mi, Yozie."

"Shiki… I am sorry for all of this. I got carried away a bit… it seems these events have caused us all a bit of upheaval." Yozakura frowned a bit, "I will fill you in on the details. But first, why don't you let yourself relax, Shiki? Take in the beautiful sights of Shinjuku Gyoen."

"My definition of relaxing is some shopping or going out to a par-tay." Shiki let out a sigh, "But even that as of late has been a chore."

By now, the girls began to pass over a long, slightly arching bridge made of wood and stone. "Sometimes we need to try new things. It's like Kurokage once said. 'It is good to find your own rhythm in life, but an open door can lead to discoveries you may not know you needed.'" Yozakura looked to the sky with a light smile, the two of them stopping, as they leaned over the railing of the bridge.

Shiki began to let her mind clear, listening to nothing but the gentle spring breeze, "Form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form." Shiki heard Yozakura reciting the Heart Sutra, then proceeding to join in with her. "That which is form is emptiness, that which is emptiness form. The same is true of feelings, perceptions, impulses, consciousness." A slight smile formed from Shiki's lips.

"You know how hard it is? Trying to remain friends with those who aren't shinobi?" Shiki looked down into the water, rippling with gentle cherry blossom leaves. "Sometimes having all this power feels like a cage."

"Mm… I know exactly how you feel." Yozakura replied. "Some of my little siblings don't even know that they ever were shinobi. I envy them in some ways. But still, over time, the letters we exchange happen less and less. Some of them… I haven't heard from since that day." Her tone dropped a bit before she tried to shift things with a smile. "Still, my one sister keeps telling me to get a phone and stop being so old-fashioned."

"Well, she's right ya know." Shiki winked. Shiki and Yozakura continued to chat casually, the two sharing in the moment. With little people in the area, Shiki confirmed to Yozie that Shizue had not caught on to anything about her shinobi line of work. "I'll just tell her I'm a secret cosplayer."

Yozakura and Shiki soon began moving across the bridge to the other side again. "So what exactly are we investigating?" Shiki asked.

"Reports of beyond the far end of the park have it that a few locals went missing. The reports also have described strange monstrous like noises coming from the area. On top of that, Yumi and I felt it. An unnatural pulse of energy that lasted for maybe only 20 seconds. It could have something to do with the strange creature you and Minori fought." Yozakura said.

"Well, that kid's dressed kinda warmly for this whether wouldn't ya say?" Shiki pointed across to some benches up further from the water, where a supposed small child sat. From the distance, Yozakura could make out a baby-blue, winter overcoat with fluffy, white puffballs and pink ribbons adorning it. She also wore a blue hat, which Yozakura thought she recognized.

"Yakumi!" Yozakura called out, running towards the girl.

"Hey! Yozie! Like, take a chill pill and slow down!" after an exasperated sigh, Shiki took off after her.

Yozakura ran up to the child, whom she found crying on a bench, proceeding to embrace her. "Yakumi! I'm here! Oh where have you been, Yakumi? How come you never write?"

"Uuum… wh-what? Who are you?" The child replied in a voice Yozakura didn't recognize. Letting go of the kid, Yoza looked upon her face more clearly. Her blue eyes and short, light-brown hair revealed that she was not who Yozakura thought she was.

Yozakura backed away quickly, her eyes popping as she lightly blushed in embarrassment. "I-I am so sorry! I thought you were someone else I knew! You… just reminded me of one of my sisters is all…"

"Oh… Well I… I hope you find them." The child looked down with tears still in her eyes.

"Gee, like really, Yozie. Ya really need to quit rushin in headfirst. Look at that, you're givin the poor kid the heebie-jeebies." Shiki pointed, finally catching up.

"I-I did not! I found her like this!" Yozakura snapped before turning back to the kid, softening her voice and kneeling down to her. "But why are you crying, little one?"

"I'm looking for someone too." She sniffled. "My sisters. We all got separated after the big fight. I don't remember what happened… and, and then I woke up in this strange place and-… Miss Cave…"

Yozakura felt a tinge in her veins, the child's sorrowful tears were like a magnet, tugging on her heart and triggering her inner mother, bringing back the old days when she alone took care of her siblings. Tempted to reach out and hug her again, Yozakura placed her hands gently on the child's shoulder. "Don't you worry. We will help you find your sisters, no matter what."

"Uuumm… Earth to Yozie, are you forgetting we totally have a mission? Can't we just like… hand her over to the police and let them deal with all that lost child jazz?" Shiki folded her arms.

"Out of the question! What kind of Shinobi would we be if we just handed her over to the police?!" Yoza protested.

"Um… the good kind?" Shiki shrugged indifferently at Yozakura.

Yozakura was ready to argue when the kid tugged at her sleeve. "Excuse me. What is your name?"

"Ah. How rude of me. I am Yozakura. Might I have your name, little one?"

"Mm, hm. I'm Rom. A pleasure to meet you, miss Yozakura." She smiled sweetly.

"Rom? What an unusual and adorable name." Yozakura's heart fluttered, looking down into Rom's cute, pleading eyes.

"Tch. Figures, careless foreigners losing their kids." Shiki grumbled.

"So you'll… really help me find my sisters, miss Yozakura?" Rom looked up at her.

"Of course. I cannot stand idle while siblings are torn apart. I will not let it happen again!" Yozakura held out her hand gently towards Rom, who grinned warmly. Suddenly a large pink, elastic-like whip shot from the small woods of the park, latching onto Rom's right leg, knocking her down and reeling a crying Rom like a fish on a line.

"What the hey!?" Shiki jerked back in shock, but Yozakura leapt into the air before coming down on the long whip-like thing. Releasing Rom, it pulled back as a very cringy derp-voice could be heard muttering "Ow. Dat one stung."

"Rom! Are you alright!?" Yozakura looked down at a whimpering Rom, who had small sparks jolting off her body. "She's paralyzed!" the ground began to shake as an enormous, metallic yellow lizard creature hopped it's fat body forward.

"Who DARES to interrupt my discipline session with my cute little Rommy-poo?!" It said in a slightly raspy voice. Yozakura and Shiki then realized that the giant pink whip was actually the creature's tongue.

"Eeeww. Like, gross me out the door. _THAT_ was your tongue? You totally make me wanna barf! Like, gag me with a spoon kinda barf." Shiki said through repulsed eyes.

"Your discipline session? Just who or what do you think you are?!" Yozakura pointed angrily, by now the few citizens in the area had fled at the creature's appearance.

"Oh, how rude of me, ladies. I am CFW Trick of the Sages Syndicate Alliance! And this little girl is my very naughty daughter!" the creature pointed with a stubby hand, to which Shiki might have laughed had she not been so disgusted.

"Don't listen to him! That's a lie and you know it!" Rom cried out, barely able to move.

"Daughter?" Shiki scoffed. "Betch, please. I see more resemblance between Yozakura and a roll of toilet paper."

"H-hey! What was that supposed mean?!" Yozakura glanced an annoyed look at Shiki.

"JK, Yozie. You know I love ya." Shiki smirked goofily.

"How did you even… catch up… What did you do to Miss Cave, you sicko!" Rom shouted, her voice cracking as she barely made out the words.

"Ooh, I tried to be a gentleman. But Miss Cave was such an uncouth kind of lady, that I sent her for a long trip. You could say she's gone, downhill." Trick chuckled, Rom letting out a cry of anguish as much as her paralyzed body permitted. "Now, if you are done entertaining me with your farce, I will be taking my little Rommy-poo back with me now."

As he spoke the final words, Trick slid his long tongue across his grungy black teeth in a lip-licking manner. Yozakura felt distressing disgust crawl up her back as the saliva that dripped from trick's gigantic tongue made it feel like he was feeling her up. "So… you are a liar, pervert, and a murderer. Evil… Evil… Evil!" She pointed straight at Trick, gritting her teeth. "You will not be taking anyone."

"I tried to be a gentleman. But even a gentleman can lose his patience. Don't make me ask again." Trick's voice slowly strayed from a stupidly silly tone to a low, passive-aggressive growl.

"A-and… I told you… you are not… taking… ANYONE!" Yozakura threw a smoke bomb down on the ground, picking Rom up in her arms and making a run for the woods.

"Hurh! So… the hard WAY IT IS!" Trick pulled out a small disc from his inventory before inserting it into a slot on his left arm, which began to glow a florescent green color. "Now. GO! Slow them down for me while I catch up!"

* * *

"Like, whoa, Yozie! Just why are we running?! We're shinobi!" Shiki called out to Yozakura.

"You know that even if we fight him in a Kekkai that the authorities will show up! If anything, we can lead him away from the more open, public areas! Besides. We can't let them take her!" Yozakura looked down at Rom, who was now close to unconscious. "Hold on, little one. I'll protect you!"

Yozakura looked back to see several creatures in their pursuit. Shiki gasped, noticing as 3 wolf-like monsters, two horsebirds with eggplant shaped puppets riding them, and a flying, red, plaid dolphin with leathery wings and a single horn all trailing behind. "Those were totes the same as what I fought before! Only… Yozie! We have to protect that kid!"

"Oh, so NOW you change your mind? We were protecting her from the beginning!"

"No we weren't! But she might have some answers! One of those creatures I fought before!" Shiki shouted as the girls continued to run through trees down bumpy dirt paths.

"So you think she's just good for info?! She's a child, not an asset! I will not let another child succumb to evil and neither should you!" Yozakura snapped.

"Like, Take a chill pill, Yozie. What has gotten into you?! You don't even know this kid!" Shiki glanced her a frown.

"I know her well enough to know an abandoned child WHEN I SEE ONE!" Yozakura yelled, the two girls exchanging glares when they looked back to see an energy ball that the Plaid Dolphin had shot, knocking them both aside. Shiki and Yozakura rolled at an angle from each other, the latter dropping Rom.

"Rom!" Yozakura started with a crawl and then a run as she quickly got on her feet, running over to the little girl as the other creatures began to circle them. Yozakura knelt down, holding tightly onto Rom's paralyzed body as she felt her blood boil. She glared viciously into the eyes of the horned, swirly blue wolves and puppet-like eggplants on their winged horses. "You… will not touch her!"

Just then, a swinging scythe engulfed in red energy seriously injuring one of the wolves and forcing another to step back. Shiki then ran up beside Yozakura. "You are such a mom, Yozie. But listen, we can settle our squabble later. We both wanna protect the kid and we both wanna know what the hell is goin' on! Right now, our hands are tied."

Yozakura gave a nod, placing Rom beside a small, natural bed of shrubs and mushrooms at the base of a tree. "Shinobi… Transformation!" Shiki and Yozakura let the light engulf their bodies as their Shinobi attire donned, Yozakura equipping her massive gun-powered gauntlets.

"Let's like, totally wreck these scrubs, Yozie!" Shiki smirked. Yozakura responded with a smiling nod. One of the Eggplant riders held out it's lance, it's horsebird mount charging. While Shiki leapt out of the way, Yozakura took the full force of it's charge but blocked it with her gauntlets, making sure she was in between it and Rom.

"Now it's my turn! Yozakura jumped upwards, and with a shot from her gauntlet, flew at the eggplant rider, smashing it off it's mount. But the moment she did, she found herself riding backwards on a now rampaging Horsebird. Finding her balance and turning around, Yozakura grabbed onto it's neck.

Shiki spun her scythe blades rapidly. After finishing off one already weakened wolf, she found herself on the defensive against the other 2 wolves and the other eggplant rider. _Dammit! I can't get a hit in! _Shiki tensed up as she tried to keep focus when suddenly, Yozakura forced the stampeding horsebird onto one of the other wolves and then fell herself into the other Eggplant Rider. Shiki found her moment: throwing up her hat, a dark torrent of bats battered the wolves and the dismounted horsebird. "Take this! Ku Soku ZIX!"

The other horsebird leaned down, biting Yozakura in the leg. Her painful scream echoed the area around. Yozakura gritted through the pain, uppercutting the horsebird and backing up on her feet as the Eggplant rider gripped it's lance, climbing back onto it's mount. Yozakura's muscles tightened, her left leg still stinging from the bite. "A Thousand Palm Fists of Paradise!" a straight punch from her gauntlet and a barrage of mini-explosions blasted the Eggplant and Horsebird down.

Just then Shiki was sent flying backwards from the large, plaid dolphin, sliding on her butt as she landed beside Yoza. "Shiki! Are you alright?"

"OOrmph. Yeah, my bad. I shoulda been tryin' to fight it instead of cuddle it."

"EH?!" Yozakura's eyes nearly fell out of her sockets. "What the fuckin' hell are ya talkin' bout Shiki?! Cuddle it!? And you think I'M losing mah mind?!"

"I mean, look at it, Shiki. Doesn't it just remind you of one of those cute little hand-knitted stuffed toys you always found in a _**Blue Button Shop**_? What with those cute, beady eyes and that little yarn mouth?" Shiki sighed blissfully, "I remember this little plaid bear I once got for Christmas from Mom and Dad. Oh, I miss you Mr. Snuggabumkins."

"K-k-kshsh… K-k-k-kSHk… Rrrghh!" Yozakura growled.

"Like, what ever is the matter, Yozie. Don't tell me you never had plaid dollies as a girl. Like, what kinda childhood was that?"

"Shkk-kkkkk, KRrrrghhgggggg." Yozakura started steaming.

"Aww, you poor thing. I mean, I would say give you that thingy, but you know. Kuh-reepy wings, that heinous armor, and that G-ross me out horn on it's head. I love you, Yozie, so Fer Shuh, I wouldn't get you something so un-rad. Oh and it's kinda living and… too big. I should totes ask Haruka for like a shrinking potion or somethin'." Shiki grinned with fond imaginations.

"Shiki." Yozakura shook with closed eyes, trying not to snap.

"Ooh. Maybe I can skin it and take home the material. But… does a plaid creature have blood and guts and whatnot? Because that is totally grody and it would be much better if it had cute little polyester fibers and cotton balls inside of it."

"NO! YOU MAY NOT SKIN IT!" Yozakura shouted startling both Shiki and the dolphin. "We are fighting for our lives… against strange creatures… trying to protect a child… I am injured… and YOU WANT TO GO KNITTING PLUSHIES!" Yozakura took a few breaths, "Especially when I have already tried to get you to try needlework in the past and you were like 'oh but muh designer brands.' Yur one tough egg to be crackin' sometimes Shiki!"

"So… I can't skin it?" Shiki asked in an innocent, child-like way.

"I DON'T CARE! Do what you want just help me fight this thi-…" Yozakura and Shiki just barely dodged as the plaid dolphin rammed itself towards them, smashing it's head into a tree. "Shiki… you can make me an entire plaid bedroom if you want… After this bastard IS DEAD!" Yozakura came down hard, punching the dolphin's plaid head repeatedly before it threw her off. Shiki tried coming at it from behind, but got whacked with an incoming tail. By now, it had unstuck itself from the tree, turning towards it's opponents.

"We can't fight it like this! Shiki! See if you can get it to charge at me!" Yozakura said.

"Alrighty, Yozie-bee." Shiki ran up and dashed around the dolphin, slashing as she went. "Yoo hoo! I'm over here now! Gotcha!" Each time the dolphin tried to attack, she jumped around it. Meanwhile Yozakura held her hands forward, as an orange ball of energy began to form in her gauntlets' palms.

"That oughtta do it! Oh Plush monster! Shiki's over here." Shiki waved, the dolphin began charging as she ran towards Yozakura. Shiki jumped at the last second. "Now, Yozie!"

"10,000 Palm Fists of Paradise HELL!" Yozakura unleashed the now fully charged energy orb which shredded the dolphin down the middle, as it vanished in a mist of purple pixels.

"Aaaw, it wasn't full of stuffin', like what a poser. At least it wasn't bloody guts." Shiki commented. Yozakura then looked back to where she had placed Rom only to find that she was missing.

"Rom!? Where'd she go!?" Yoza's heart began racing.

"Aww, is dis whatcha lookin for?" Trick grinned. Rom, though passed out, whimpered uncomfortably, wrapped up in his tongue.

"Eeeww, you are a total sicko. Like, put her down this instant!" Shiki folded her arms.

"No can do, sweetie. This little dear has caused me enough trouble. Children need their discipline you know." Trick replied with a chuckle. "Besides, you move a muscle and I'll squeeze the life outta her!"

"Let her go. If you must, lick me instead." Yozakura glared straight at him.

"Nah. Sorry, sweetie. Big knockers just don't really do it for me. But as a gentleman I appreciate the offer. It's awful noble of you."

"A gentleman you say, Mr. Trick was that your name? Meaning you'll keep your word of threat if we move?" Yozakura asked.

"But of course." He replied.

"Um, Yozie. Just what are you planning?" Shiki asked.

"Well then, Mr. Trick. You will be happy to know… That I don't need to move to SEND YOUR EVIL TO THE DEPTHS!" activating all the gunpowder in her right gauntlet, Yozakura sent it flying off her arm like a rocket, punching Trick in the side of the jaw and causing him to lose balance. At this, Yozakura ran forward, catching Rom before she hit the ground.

Trick regained balance. "Ya know, it's amazing something so heavy can fit onto such flimsy little arms. Which is exactly why… I wanna find out how _Long _it takes to BREAK THEM!"

Trick's voice echoed through the woods, making the trees tremble. With only one gauntlet, Yozakura gripped onto Rom, turning away from Trick while keeping a watchful glare on him, ready for whatever might come next.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_I actually did not expect this chapter to go so long. But let me know what you guys think so far. any feedback is appreciated.


	13. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Tricking a Trickster

Rom's unconscious head rested against Yozakura's shoulder, a tense breeze flew through the forest, chilling Yozakura's spine. With her friend Shiki beside her, they stood across from the large metallic menace, CFW Trick.

"Now, now, Tricksty. Surely we can like, be reasonable here. What's your damage with this kid anyhow?" Shiki asked.

"I will give you persistent broads one last chance. Give me the kid and we can both walk away from this peacefully. I'll even forgive that little inappropriate hook you delivered to me earlier." Trick glared at them, baring his black teeth.

"I would rather you break half the bones in my body… then watch this child be violated by your corrupt, unscrupulous filth!" Yozakura flared up.

"Hmph. Very well." Trick's low, intimidating tone then exploded into an aggressive shout, "the HARD WAY IT IS!"

"Well then. One gauntlet in the treetops, one arm holding a kid, and a big, fat, grody, robot lizard on the other side. Ya got any plans, Yozie?" Shiki looked at her friend.

"Just one. Shinobi… Kekkai!" A scarlet sphere expanded around them all, the landscape changing to that of a more open, but uneven forest with lots of crevices and inlets.

"Huuhr!? WHAT IS THIS?! Some kind of illusion?!" Trick looked around as he tried to get a feel for his surroundings. Yozakura meanwhile had jumped over to a tree that had a small inlet at the base of it's trunk. Removing one of her sashes, she laid Rom down, using the sash as a pillow for her head.

"You'll be safe here, little one. I won't let them harm you." Yozakura looked fondly at her, kneeling down. Memories of brushing siblings teeth, making their beds, handing out pajamas, shushing them when they made too much noise as she read them bedtime stories, and tucking them all in one-by-one flashed in Yozakura's mind.

"Uh, Yozie." Shiki tapped her shoulder. "That's a nice Kekkai and whatnot, but big, bad, and yellow-bellied over there is like, not gonna sit still forever." The ground shook, Yozakura and Shiki losing their balance as Trick jumped down from a sloped area.

"An impressive display. You might prove interesting to fight after all. But it will all be FRUITLESS IN THE END!" Trick roared.

"Shiki! Hold him off while I recover my gauntlet!" Yoza called out quickly. Shiki nodded running at Trick, who took the first strike. Shiki leapt to the left, feeling the ground vibrate as Trick's massive tongue slammed the ground like a hammer.

"Like, Eeeww! Gag me with a spoon, you use your tongue as a weapon too?! Don't you ever like… feel grossed out?" Shiki then jumped upwards aiming to strike at his head when Trick's tongue whipped around pursuing Shiki's path. Shiki yelped as the tongue knocked her down into the leaves and grass below. Quickly sitting up, she rolled over as he tried to whip her.

"Now… HOLD STILL you old hag!" Trick yelled,

"As if! And who the hey ya callin' old hag, huh?" Shiki retorted as she rolled over, avoiding another strike to jump back on her feet.

"NOT SO FAST!" Trick called out. Shiki then saw Trick's tongue whip around to where Yozakura was attempting to sneak by. Yozakura jumped upward and, with her left gauntlet, brought her fist down onto Trick's tongue, to which the large felon let out an incredibly derpy yelp.

Shiki couldn't help but giggled before breaking out into laughter. "Yozie! Like, do that again, girlfriend. That was like, toootally hilarious." Yozakura's grimace showed annoyance as she sighed Shiki's name. "Oh! Yeah right!"

Trick retracted his tongue. "You barbaric wench! Just wait till I-… huh?!" Trick looked back to see Shiki riding a red mist led by a swarm of bats. Smashing into him, Trick was knocked back, some marks on his armor showing from the attack. "That was a dirty trick!"

"Says the guy whose name means liaarrr~. Like, you use your tongue to fight. I don't wanna hear it coming from you." Shiki spun her scythe to her sassy tone, before lunging at Trick, spinning it rapidly. Trick hopped backwards before using his tongue to knock Shiki's weapon out of her grip. "Huh?! EEP!" Shiki felt squeezed to the bones as Trick's tongue restrained her.

Trick growled, "I'm going to teach YOU the same lesson I taught Rommy-poo! A little paralysis should shut your smart mouth RIGHT UP!" Shiki struggled, but upon hearing the word paralysis, her body began to shake, unable to tell if the effect had already begun to happen or if the mere mention of it sent her into fear.

"OORGH!" Trick yelled as a pair of fists smashed into his side, making him roll over on his Tummy. Yozakura and Shiki both landed on their feet.

"Thanks, Yozie." Shiki said, grabbing her weapon.

"Enough talk, Shiki. We need to protect Rom, so let us finish this!" Yozakura ran at Trick, who was trying to roll back upwards.

"Tch. What's her damage?" Shiki pouted, but ran after Yozakura, who knocked Trick off balance again, sending him rolling. Yozakura jumped into the air for another strike, Shiki following after her. But a grounded Trick sent his tongue upward like a rocket, smacking both Shiki and Yoza back down to the ground, knocking them down on their rears.

"Oh NOW you old hags have gone and DONE IT!" Trick rolled back upwards with an angry grunt.

"Oowww… So much for that gentlemanly behavior." Shiki groaned, getting on her feet, only to look up and now see Yozakura writhing in pain as Trick's tongue tightened around her.

"I'm going to make sure those arms of yours never move again!" Trick growled as Yozakura began screaming. Trick cackled, "Now you know how a tube of toothpaste feels. Maybe I should make you my bruuush~"

"YOZIE!" Shiki tried taking several slashes at Trick, but to little avail.

"Hah! Your weapon is USELESS against my armor. Watch helplessly as I crush your friend! And to add insult to injury…" Trick turned to Yozakura, "How about a little poison?" Yozakura's screams slowly began to turn to a desperate gasp as tears choked from her eyes. Shiki rapidly looked around, thinking for a solution. _That's it! _Running behind Trick, she threw her scythe at a moderately thick tree which was already leaning and rotting at the base.

"Come on, come on!" Shiki's heart raced, throwing the scythe again and again boomerang style, sweat dripping down her as she looked back at Yozakura, the life painfully being wrung from her. Shiki dashed at the tree, sending her blades into it with all the force she could muster, the tree then crumbling over.

"Nani? I mean, what?!" Trick looked back over his head only to have the tree come down on him. "AYEEEEEEE!"

Yozakura rolled as she was released from his tongue. Shiki ran over to her comrade, who was breathing heavily, her torso to the ground. "YOZIE! Yozie, please be alright!" Yozakura groaned, slowly struggling to her feet, Shiki helping her up with a hand. Yozakura caught her breath and thanked Shiki, but the moment she did she almost scolded her. "Just what the hell happened, Yozie?! I know speed isn't exactly, like, in your frame data, but I also know you too well to know you could've gotten out of the way!"

"Mm! Well, if you must know I just… looked over to make sure Rom was okay!"

"Like, for realsies? Yozie, you are letting your motherly emotions for that kid get in the damn way!"

"I-… I am NOT!"

"Yeah, you like, totally are. If you care so much about that kid, you think she's gonna fare well if you're DEAD?!" Shiki barked. Yozakura went silent, Shiki placing an arm around her shoulder. "I ain't one much for philosophy, but sometimes a little selfishness can be a very selfless thing to do."

"You're… right Shiki… I'm sorry. But one thing doesn't make sense." Yozakura then squinted Shiki some hesitant eyes. "Frame data? Just what did you actually say back there?"

"Uum… I don't really know, it just kinda came out." Shiki shrugged. A shadow engulfed the spot where they stood prompting Shiki and Yoza to look up, leaping out of the way of a tree. Shiki's eyes followed the tree over to Trick's hand's, the strange face-like encasing above his head had now been cracked in half, sparking.

"Now you've done it. I will send both of you uppity broads straight to the underworld!" Trick gripped his hands into the tree bark so that it cracked. Yozakura winced as she moved her leg. Her whole body felt like yeast through the roller, the poison beginning to itch. When Shiki asked if she could still fight, Yozakura gave her a reassuring look and nodded. The girls ducked and dodged as Trick tried a few more times to club them with the loose tree. At one point, Shiki jumped on the trunk as Trick smashed it into the ground and rode a bloody mist of bats straight into his face.

"OOOOOIIIIIIII!" Trick yelped, his eyes would have been popping if they could, to which Shiki began laughing. Shiki looked up to see Trick's tongue about to pound her when it stopped midway. Looking down, She saw that Yozakura had a hold of Trick's tongue, struggling to keep it held in place. "Oh come on, that isn't very ladylike of you."

"Shiki! Now!" Yozakura's arms trembled, the poison creating a prickling feeling just below her skin.

"Sure, sure YozieeeeAAH!" Shiki grabbed onto a branch as Trick attempted to shake her off of the tree.

"OH no you don't! I am not falling for the same trick TWICE! Why do ya think they call me TRICK?!"

"Caaauuseee Ayyeeeee… You're Waaaahh… G-g-gullibllllleee!" Shiki shouted dizzily. Trick growled, throwing the tree off to his right. Shiki managed to let go, but tripped her landing, rolling and spraining her ankle a bit.

Yozakura could feel her grip on Trick's tongue loosening as her breathing became heavier, sweat dripping down the side of her cheek and onto her neck as if a warning sign of the energy leaking out of her. "You must realize by now… that YOU cannot win." Trick's green eyes glared into Yozakura's, but she held her ground.

"Don't be so certain." Yozakura yanked hard on Trick's tongue her direction before letting go, causing it to whip Trick in the face, Shiki immediately following up by taking several slashes at his vulnerable licker. Trick screamed as his tongue unraveled, slightly hitting Shiki by accident.

Shiki landed about 7 Meters (25 Feet) from Yozakura, "Like Yowztacular. For all that tongue lashing we gave him a tongue slashing, eh Yozie?... Yozie?" Shiki ran closer to Yozakura, who's breath was heavier. She coughed, Shiki making out a barely noticeable purple mist from her breath as Yozakura scratched all over her body.

"I think the poison's getting to me, Shiki… If I go… please… protect Rom. Tell Yumi, Murakumo, Minori… tell them what you saw." Yozakura leaned on Shiki.

"Y-yozie! No! No, you can't leave us!" Shiki's eyes began filling with tears.

"I didn't say I was leaving, you idiot!" Yozakura glared up at Shiki with pouting lips. "I just said if. I'll just grab an antidote back at Gessen." Trick slurped his giant tongue into his mouth, moving it around inside. "But I'll be damned… if I let someone like that… do what he wants… with someone like her." Yozakura and Shiki both looked back at Rom, who appeared to be sleeping soundly.

Trick let his tongue loose, which was now mostly healed from the cuts, but still had marks where Shiki slashed him. In a slow, imposing manner, he hopped towards the girls "I must say you've proven to be quite the challenge indeed. But I'm going to end this! And make sure you meddling Guild broads NEVER INTERFERE AGAIN!"

"Guild? Like, whuuuuut?" Shiki raised an eyebrow.

"Last Resort Ninja Art." Yozakura barely muttered the words.

"Speak your last words louder! I can't hear you!" Trick said.

"Namu… AMIDA!" a long, wavy pair of ghost-like, golden fists emerged from Yozakura's gauntlets, extending towards Trick. Trick shot out his tongue response, but with one fist, Yozakura parried the strike and with the other hand, grabbed his tongue.

"Wha?! This again!? AAGHEYAYAGGLLLL!" Trick yelped as the Golden Fists tied his tongue up into a knot before punching him repeatedly.

"To all those who corrupt good, may justice reign down like a hammer!" Trick shrieked as Yozakura continued to land blow after blow before finally retracting both golden fists only to send them into one final double punch, sending Trick flying across the park, the Shinobi Kekkai deactivating.

"YEAAAH! That was like totes bitchin' Yozie!" Shiki cheered, but her cheers were short-lived as she looked to her friend, who coughed a light cloud of purple.

"Come on, Shiki… help me… get her back to Gessen." Yozakura coughed as she stumbled over to Rom, picking her up in her arms.

Shiki reached her arms out. "Here. Let me, Yozie. You're too injured."

"But Shiki!"

"Don't fight it, Yozie. You take care of us all the time, it's my turn to care for you, come on." Shiki gave a smile to which Yozakura nodded, staggering along with her friend.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **_Ironic that my shortest chapter so far (this one) is up against the longest chapter so far, (the previous chapter). Again, any feedback is appreciated.


	14. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Baka Baka! Blazing Bullets

While the tall, looming trees shaded Uni from the blazing sun, their casting shadows and the orange sunset glow meant that darkness would soon be upon her. Autumn leaves fell as Uni's side updos fluttered in the wind. Her fingers gripped around the stock of her rifle, as though the forest itself would jump out at her.

Though alert of her surroundings, flashbacks of the previous battle wouldn't leave her head alone. The strange and disturbing aura given off by the monsters they had fought chilled her to the bone during their fight, as they spilled hatred and bloodlust into their every attack. _Just what happened to those monsters? Viral disease doesn't bolster that much strength. There was much more than just a palette swap at hand._

"Uniiiii." A very aloof voice called out.

"GAH! P-p-plutia!" Uni gasped nervously as the blue-haired airhead strolled towards her.

"I'm so glad I found you. I was getting lonely. What happened? You look pale." Plutia smiled.

"I-it's I've… you know… I've been lost for hours in whatever just happened. You were there Plutia. Don't you remember? We were fighting those monsters…" Uni replied, the two began walking along side by side.

"Oh yeeeaaah. What did happen? All I remember is a light coming out of Noire's bum-bum and then boink. Here we aaarrree." The words rolled off Plutie's tongue so casually that Uni could not tell if it was her words or the carefree tone that made her mouth gape.

"WHAT?! Her bum?! Plutie, were you perving over my sister?! Lights just don't come out of people's behinds like that."

"They dooon't? You mean… You've never pooped out light before, Uni?"

"Wha-NO! What kind of question is that?!" Uni retorted; her eyes squinted in frustration as a slight hint of blush ran across her face. Plutie changed the subject, inquiring about where they were as they passed a small statue of a snake which sat by a tree. "I don't know. In fact, I don't think we're in Gamindustri anymore. I can't transform."

"Oh? Maybe… I can try to transform?" Plutia stroked her chin slowly, her eyes wandering. Uni protested, waving her arms rapidly, Plutie's head then turning slowly towards Uni's direction. "Aaaww. You're such a meanie, Uni."

Uni raised an eyebrow as Plutia let her arms loose, turning around in circles with a nonchalant smile on her face. "Um, where are you looking?"

"Such an interesting bird!" Plutia said, not making eye contact with Uni. "Hey! Wait up, birdie!" Not paying attention, Plutia ran into Uni knocking both of them over when a loud 'boom' grazed the back of her head. "Uum. What was that?"

"Plutie!" Quickly grabbing onto Plutia, Uni rolled over as another shot was taken in the spot they were just at. Jumping to her feet and holding Plutie by the hand, they ducked behind a tree, before another bullet knocked some bark off of it.

"Someone's shooting at us. But why?" Plutie worriedly frowned.

"Plutie! Stay here. I'm going to see if I can find the sniper!" Uni unlocked the safety for her rifle, tension in her muscles building as she dashed from tree to tree. Her back pinned to a black pine and the stock on her shoulder, she peeked her head out for just a second. Within that split second, a small tear opened up, the blood rushing to the surface just above her cheek bone where the bullet skimmed across her face. Uni gritted her teeth, raising her rifle up, She quickly faked coming out, initiating another shot from the sniper, jumping up above to where the tree trunk split, and sending her own shot despite not knowing the exact direction of her enemy. Another shot hit the tree bark, knocking her off as wooden shards battered her face.

Uni frantically looked through her ammo before deciding to load a clip of exploding bullets into the chamber. Quickly peeking out, she fired a few rounds, creating a series of explosions before running past and leaping behind another tree, which was smaller than the other, allowing her to more easily climb up to it's thick branches. Uni ducked back down, several more shots came, nearly hitting her.

From behind her tree, Plutie watched as Uni was under fire. "Uuuhh… What should I do? Uni's in trouble." Plutia bit her nails, frantically looking around. "Ooooh. I have an idea." Reaching down, she grabbed one of her stuffed animals and threw it into the crossfire.

As the plushie went flying, the fire stopped for a moment before the sniper shot it, giving Uni a chance. "So that's where you are." Uni took pulled the trigger, firing an explosive bullet in the general direction of the sniper.

Bark flew as a body dropped. Uni jumped down from her tree to see a Brunette with long twin-tails and a torn up, black school uniform struggling to her feet. Groaning, the girl got to her feet, only to look up to Uni's rifle in her face. Uni glared into the girl's heterochromatic eyes, "Don't move! Now start talking!"

The girl smirked despite her heavy breathing. "I'm not taking orders from you... Shinobi Transformation." Uni stepped back as a bright light engulfed the girl, stripping her of her shredded school uniform to adorn herself in a long, black and white dress with a red overcoat and an ammo belt around her waist. All of a sudden, Uni found a bolt-action sniper rifle pointed at her.

"What the hell!? Her jugs just got bigger!" Uni shouted.

"Take a good look at em, Pancakes." The brunette said with sass coating her voice, Uni reinforcing the position of her own rifle. "Now I want you to tell me what YOU are doing on Hebijo grounds."

"You do realize you have a gun pointed at you too! I'd watch your words more carefully if I were you." Uni's fingers shook, dread blanketing over her as she stared the other girl down, neither willing to give an inch. _She's no ordinary warrior. One wrong move and it's all over. _

"Heeeyyy. Wait uuup." An airy voice called out, Uni noticed the girl glancing quickly back and forth between her and the approaching Plutia, who giggled, "No need for all the stickups. I noticed your flatties just inflated."

"Wh-what about it!? Who is this idiot anyways?!" The brunette barked, holding her rifle's position.

"She's… an… er… Aaaally." Uni stuttered, making sure her gun didn't stray.

"Aaw. Don't be a meanie. I just saw your bubbles go boing and I wanted to know if you're a CPU." Plutia folded her hands, rocking them at her waist with an open smile like a child waiting for a hug from mom.

"Look, airhead. Shut it! And you." She turned her gaze back to Uni. "You are both trespassing on Hebijo grounds! And I can't let you live." Uni gulped, a short growl could be heard from Plutia's direction. "What's her deal?" the brunette asked.

"I don't like your attitude. It's making me angry." Plutia's smile turned upside down.

"P-plutia I can handle this!" Uni stuttered.

"Baka, baka-… I mean idiot, idiot, idiot, dumb! I'm through with your stupid farce! If it wasn't for you," she shouted, pointing at Uni, "I'd shoot this retard on the spot."

"RAAUGH!" Plutia scrunched her face, standing high on her tip-toes, but nothing happened as her growl trailed off into silence. Her eyes went white. "Hm? I can't transform either."

"Is this blockhead trying to shit herself?" the brunette sweatdropped. Suddenly Uni heard someone calling in the brunette's direction, whom she figured was named Ryobi. They looked over to see a short-haired blonde running over. "Ryona?! The hell are you doin' here?"

"We had some technical difficulties in the code room. Miyabi wanted me to tell you to not kill them, but capture them." Ryona said.

"Then why don't you fuckin' help me instead of standing there all dimwitted, you dumbass pig?" Ryobi growled.

Ryona squealed in ecstasy "That's what I was doing anyways, but I wanted to hear that from you, Ryobi! I love you, sister!"

"Yeah, well fuck you too, bitch." Ryobi replied.

Uni sweatdropped. _These two are sisters? _Uni looked over to see Plutia with pulsating hearts around her head. "Ryona, huh? She's sooo cute."

"What? Are you ogling my sister, airhead?" Ryobi asked.

"OOOH! Yes, ogle me. Undress me with your eyes!" Ryona moaned, her tongue sticking out.

A shade of darkness shadowed Plutie's eyes, which gave off a sinister reflection. "Hehehe. My only regret is that I can't transform for you."

"Get your lecherous eyes off of her, you…" Ryobi began to yell at Plutie when Uni moved the rifle closer to Ryobi's neck.

"Don't. Move. Now, miss CPU. Tell me which nation you run, what kind of share energy are you using, and where in Gamindustri are we!?" Uni demanded.

"What the hell are you talkin about?! Did you just walk out of a video game or somethin'?!" Ryobi glared into Uni's eyes with an aggressive flare.

"Well, you seem to have your hands full, Ryobi. Soooo." Ryona then jumped onto Plutia, tackling both of them down a hill as they rolled like a sushi.

"Get back here you big dolt! Rrrgh!" Ryobi growled, before turning back to Uni. The girls' arms began to tire, holding their guns on each other the entire time. "Anyways, to continue from where we left off, I don't know who you think you are, but get that rifle out of my face."

"You first." Uni glared, her fingers beginning to tremble in their grip as sweat accumulated, dripping onto the trigger and forestock.

"As you wish." Ryobi slowly lifted her rifle barrel upward, keeping eyes on Uni. The moment her rifle was completely up, Ryobi quickly swung the axe-head on her stock, knocking Uni's rifle from it's position. Caught off guard, Uni held her gun fast, just barely blocking Ryobi, who swung her gun around like a staff. At the first opportunity she had Uni leapt backwards up into a tree, firing five explosive rounds in succession, which tore at Ryobi's dress as she leapt backwards herself, with identical timing to Uni.

Ryobi jumped to her feet running for cover as Uni loaded a new magazine. Taking several shots, Uni had Ryobi on the run before she ducked behind the small snake statue. Uni continued holding down the trigger, damage the statue as Ryobi curled up tight, sweating bullets as they flew past her, ripping up her dress even more. Grabbing a smoke bomb, she engulfed her surroundings in smoke. Expecting her to run one direction or another, Uni waited, taking aim.

"Hehe. Eat this, bitch. Ricochet Prelude." Ryobi, still in the smokescreen, aimed for the general direction of the tree base. An explosion. The next thing Uni knew, she was holding onto the branch of a falling tree, as Ryobi reloaded her gun, aiming to fire.

Uni landed on her feet before taking a shot to the side of the leg from Ryobi. She quickly leapt over the side of the fallen tree as Ryobi took four more shots. Uni whimpered, holding her leg in pain but quickly looked through her ammo. _She's fast. I'm gonna have to slow her down, but I only have 7 rounds of poison bullets. I'll have to make em count._

Ryobi walked slowly over to the fallen tree, gripping the forestock of her rifle, cautiously advancing. Ryobi poked the barrel over the fallen trunk before taking a peek, herself. Suddenly Uni emitted a yelling jump, slamming her rifle sideways into Ryobi's, causing her to fire off a buckshot round into the air.

Uni had the element of surprise, catching Ryobi off guard as she tried to bash her with her gun. Despite a few hits to the face, Ryobi's melee experience soon had her parrying Uni's strikes while returning several of her own. Uni was near ragdolled, crying out as she took one hit after another, to the right of her face, then to the left, to the head and then to the stomach, knocking her down behind the fallen tree. Ryobi leapt up, aiming to come down with her axe head when Uni delivered a double kick to her stomach, knocking her back.

Ryobi yelped, before jumping back onto her feet, A poison bullet then scraping her thigh. Grunting, she backed behind another tree. "You're really starting to PISS ME OFF, You black-haired skank!"

"Then make this easy for the both of us. Come out here and just die so we can get it over with!" Uni called.

Ryobi's breath weighed down on her, rage beginning to seethe through gritted teeth. "That's my line. You STUPID WHORE!" Ryobi leapt out from behind her tree, firing a round of six shots at Uni, who ducked behind the fallen tree. "Damn it!" Ryobi screamed, running for cover as Uni came back up, taking another three shots, but missing.

_Time to use this. _Uni pulled out a white magazine that looked much like a normal one, except for a pair of glowing blue lines running down one side and up the other. Ryobi began to rapidly reload her rifle when she heard Uni shout "EX Multi-Blaster!" as a bright blue light could be seen from behind the tree.

Ryobi peered her head out from behind, "What the f-… aaAAAAAUUUGGHH!" the bright blue laser blasted through the tree that Ryobi sat behind, engulfing her body in a painful light. Ryobi screamed as she was stripped completely naked, her pale arms and legs open, taking in the full blast. Losing energy, her bouncy balloons deflated back to normal before she hit the ground.

Uni walked over slowly with her rifle out, Ryobi's body sprawled out on a bed of multi-colored leaves. Uni squinted as she got closer. Suddenly Ryobi's eyes opened wide and orange ethereal circles summoned mines all around her. "8-MINUET!"

Adrenaline hit Uni as she turned to leap backwards. One second too late. Uni found herself flying back, knocking her head against the downed log as the explosions ripped parts of her outfit. "Hehe… let your guard down…uuh." Ryobi dropped her head, passing out.

Uni groaned, barely lifting her body up to get on her knees as she heard a swarm of approaching footsteps. Before she knew it, masked foes of various clothes and sizes surrounded her area. Uni stopped in her tracks as a red blade came beside her neck. Her eyes looked up to see a woman in short, white hair, clad in old warlord attire, who addressed Uni in a deep voice. "Don't move, intruder."

"Ryobi!" Ryona cried out, grabbing onto her sister before calling a few medical shinobi to help her carry her.

"You… what did you… do… to Plutia?" Uni panted, hardly staying conscious.

"Oh, that one? She essssckilled! I killed her." Ryona grinned, rocking her hands behind her back.

"Ryona. I sent you to tell your sister not to kill them, and what do you do?" the white-haired woman replied with an eye roll, whom Uni suspected was their leader.

"I know, Miyabi! I messed up, so I deserve to be punished." Ryobi flashed her longing eyes at Miyabi in a sing-song voice.

"Forget I asked." Miyabi face-palmed, "At least we still have this one. We can question her."

_Plutia… dead? No, she can't be! There's no way Plutia could lose this easily! _Uni then looked up to see Ryona glaring at her face with heterochromatic eyes. "You can hurt me all you want… but next time… don't you dare hurt my sister!" Uni's vision faded to black as Ryona struck her on the back of the head with the blunt end of her double-sided pistol.


	15. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Crimson Craze

Hikage and Haruka walked down the corridors of the large ruins until they came to yet another branching, this time more tunnel-like, path. Haruka said that splitting up again was not the best idea, to which Hikage agreed. Just then, Mirai rushed out of the smaller path, nearly bowling Hikage over. "Where'd she go!?" Mirai yelled.

"Whoa there, Mirai dear. We're not bowling pins, and you're not very round." Haruka smiled a tiny hint of sarcasm.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Mirai barked. "You really have a way of pushing buttons mistress Haruka!"

"So, who was it, Mirai? Who were you chasing?" Hikage asked.

Mirai regained her composure. "Oh, right. I could have sworn I saw one of the bullies who harassed me in the past. I heard their voice! I crawled underneath another corridor to follow them! I swear they were just ahead!"

"But that makes absolutely no sense. You haven't seen them for years. In fact most of the people in our past have not been, so why would they be here of all places?" Haruka shrugged. "Are you sure you saw them, Mirai?"

Mirai went quiet for a moment, resting a hand on her chin before simply declaring that she didn't know. Shortly after, they saw Homura coming from the other direction. "There you are, Mirai! Now what happened?! Why'd you run off?"

"Mirai thinks she saw one of her old bullies in the ruins." Haruka mentioned. "By the way, Homura. Where's Yomi?"

"Jeez! What the hell is going on!?" Homura scratched the back of her head rapidly with both hands while looking up.

"Oh? Care to tell us what's up?" Hikage asked. Homura then proceeded to tell them about their encounter with the two strange girls. "So… using both Asuka and my skills against you? You don't say. Maybe she's a cat."

"A cat now, Hikage?" Haruka raised an eyebrow.

"Mhm… You know, a copy cat." Hikage put her hands up and with the most monotone voice, performed mini-swipes to the air. "Meow… Meow." The others looked at her with widened eyes. "Oh… was it not funny?"

Taking them back to their main room, they met up with Yomi, who was resting. While Mirai found her laptop on the floor but largely unharmed, the same could not be said for Haruka's desk, to which a pile of her liquids spilled over into a puddle. Though mad at first, she realized there were more pressing matters at hand.

Homura brought her palm down on the table. "Alright! Mirai go with Haruka and Hikage. I want you three mapping out the insides of these ruins. I'm going to go outside and see just how far this old temple goes around. Yomi, you rest up. You took quite a beating, not to mention the monthlies and all." Yomi, however, protested, saying she was just fine and that she had every right to investigate this as the rest of them did, to which Homura put up little quarrel over.

* * *

Not long after Homura and Yomi took a walk outside, did they see a ninja approaching. Homura suspected that he was a grunt in his tight, blue yoroi. "Another assassin? Just what are they training you at dipshit academy?" Homura folded her arms.

"Silence!" the young man said, "I am no assassin. For I bear a message from the great Kenshi Yamauchi of Gokudo Boys Academ-… HGH!" Homura and Yomi stopped in their tracks when the ninja suddenly got impaled through the chest with a spear. The girls looked up to see someone in a tree.

"HEY!" Homura called out before dashing up the tree and grabbing onto the person's leg as they attempted to fly away. Homura held on tightly to their legs, the sun preventing her from seeing just who it was, though she could make out black boots. The figure flew wildly, whacking Homura over the head with some kind of staff. Homura's head stinging, she grabbed onto the leg tighter and yanked causing the person to lose balance, accidentally kicking Homura in the face, causing her to fall.

"Homura! Whattodo Whattodo! I got it!" Yomi ran towards where Homura was falling. "Ultimate Ninja Art: Ragnarok!" Yomi spun around, creating an upward draft of wind, slowing Homura's fall but also throwing her aside. Homura grunted as she rolled a few times. Yomi ran up to her friend, helping her up. "Are you alright, Homura?"

"I'm fine, thanks to you, Yomi." Homura smiled, the two then walking back to the dead ninja. "I've never seen a flying shinobi with that much strength before. Clearly somebody didn't want us to hear something."

Yomi leaned down, checking the bodies' pockets before she found a note, opening it. "Whoever it was didn't really try too hard then. Let's see. 'we have Ikaruga in our grasp. Does she mean anything to you? If so, then you will come. Especially Hikage. Sincerely, the leader of the Secret Gokudo Boys Academy'. Homura, we have to go! These Gokudo assholes have taken Ikaruga!"

Homura growled, pulling her hair. "Why NOW!? First our home is literally _**In Ruins**_, strangers show up and attack us, and some flying freak didn't want us to know that these Gokudo bastards have captured one of our old friends! LIKE GIMME A BREAK!"

* * *

The other three Crimson members split up, mapping out the remainder of the ruins which, while still imposing, were smaller than they initially expected. Haruka heard Mirai's voice around the corner. "You know, Mirai dear, I've been thinking. Maybe this little predicament isn't so bad after all. These ruins are ironically sturdy, not to mention much bigger than our old cave. I spotted a few great places that would make wonderful r-…" Haruka stopped and gasped, as she saw Mirai crawling around a large red, blue, white, and gold robot before stopping on what was probably it's head. "Just what did you find?"

"Not sure. Whatever it was, got damaged." Mirai then tossed a strange looking bullet to Haruka, who caught it midair. Mirai pointed down "Assuming that this is the head, it looks like it took that round to the butt."

Haruka looked around to find a small hole in the rear of the robot. Haruka giggled, "My, they were off center a bit. Have you ever seen a bullet like this in all your life Mirai?"

"Uh uh. Chinese, Korean, Russian, not even American places have anything like it. And I know my ammunition. Things just keep getting weirder, Haruka." Mirai commented.

"Still, this is quite a fascinating machine. I wanna know what makes it tick. Help me out, Mirai." With a brief lick of her lips, Haruka began looking around seeing if there was any spot in the robot that could be opened. Mirai also continued looking around, crawling all over the machine until she got Haruka's attention with what appeared to be a loose screw on the robot's shoulder. Haruka nodded, an anticipating smile carving across her face as she called her own bot over to trying and began making it yank at the supposed screw.

"Uuhm… Mistress Haruka. I don't think that's how you're supposed to take screws off."

"You wanna try and find a screwdriver? Seriously, I've seen midgets smaller than this."

"Was that a shot?" Mirai growled.

"Come now, Mirai. Use your umbrella like a pry bar." Suddenly Haruka and Mirai fell off as the robot started moving. Haruka got a face full of dirt before getting back up, spitting onto the ground. "Hey! That was rude!"

The robot looked over, prompting Mirai to yell. "H-hey! Just WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?"

Mirai aimed her umbrella at the robot's direction when it began to speak in a most sophisticated and masculine manner. "Forgive me for startling you, fair lady. I did not realize you were present."

"My my. Aren't you quite the gentleman for a hunk of metal. Might I ask just what you were doing here?" Haruka asked with intrigue.

"I am a member of the Sages Syndicate Alliance. My name is CFW Brave. I must be off before the enemy falls upon us!" Brave turned quickly, running down one path, only to come straight back from different direction. "The ruins! There is nobody here!"

"I mean, they're kinda called ruins for a reason, big guy." Mirai rolled her eyes.

"But this does not make any sense! They were here! I confronted all them, warning them to leave and then…" Brave stopped for a moment, looking down. Haruka and Mirai glanced at each other with a shrug before looking back at CFW Brave. "That girl… what could she have meant?"

"Girl? What did she look like?" Haruka asked.

"Short. Long black hair with side-updos. Kind of flat… I've never seen her and yet… something felt as though I knew her from somewhere. The way she spoke to me. But then… next thing I know, I felt a strange current in my behind and everything faded to black." Brave began rubbing his ass where he had been shot.

"Hm. So she shot ya in the ass, huh? Sounds to me like she was made of some solid stuff!" Mirai nodded.

"Oh? And I thought you wanted those bug bites to grow larger, Mirai." Haruka smirked.

"E-hey! That's not what I was talking about and you know it!" Mirai folded her arms. Haruka teased her, calling it cute just before Homura and Yomi came running in with the letter in hand.

"Haruka! Mirai! Urgent news. A new enemy has kidnapped-… AAUGH! What the hell is that!?" Homura pointed at CFW Brave.

"Calm down, Homura. It's just a lost robot." Haruka said. Homura screamed pulling her hair.

"Dear me, I seem to be making a very bad impression today." CFW Brave stood up, taking a step forward and a bow. "I did not intend to frighten you, dear lady."

"Hehehe. He has such good manners." Yomi smiled.

"Homura, darling. What ever is the matter? Don't tell me the monthlies are hitting you too." Haruka asked.

"Aww, it's okay, Homura." Yomi patted her on the shoulder with a smile. "No need to fret over lady time. We will get through this together as code red buddies."

"Heh. Puts a twist on the name 'Crimson Squad'." Mirai chuckled.

"I'M NOT ON LADY TIME, DAMN IT!" Homura shouted, biting her lip in slight frenzy. "NONE OF THIS SHOULD BE HAPPENING! First there's ruins and girls and flying assassins and then Hanzo's in trouble and now robots! Can somebody please tell me what's going on!?"

"Fair exchange, Homura dear. We'll tell you ours but then you tell us yours." Haruka sighed a sympathetic smile before continuing to tell Homura about Brave and how they found him. Yomi then told Brave of the strange girls who attacked them.

"Hm. They do match the description of some of the foes I was facing before." Brave replied. Pulling herself together, Homura then informed them about the group that apparently captured Ikaruga.

"But why would they emphasize Hikage coming more than anyone? I just don't understand that part." Yomi asked.

"Yeah and from the sounds of it, someone didn't want us getting that letter but was either too stupid or too late to do anything." Hikage remarked.

"HIKAGE?! When did you get here?" Homura yelped.

"Huh? I been here this whole time." Hikage shrugged. "Who's your new puppet Haruka?"

CFW Brave recoiled at the word puppet. To which Haruka sweatdropped. "Don't worry your head over it, Sir Brave. Hikage, this is our new… friend." After a brief introduction, Haruka turned back to Hikage. "Hikage dear, do you happen to know the name of Gokudo?" Hikage shook her head, asking if it was a type of fish. Haruka sighed, "I'll admit, even I'm beginning to wanna pull my hair out over it. So what should our first course of action be?"

The second she finished her words, Yomi yanked on her arm. "Isn't it obvious?! We have to rescue Ikaruga first!"

"Whoa girl. We don't even know anything about this Gokudo Academy. For all we know this could be a serious trap. And it's not like our messenger left us an address or anything." Haruka responded.

"We should see Master Suzune. Maybe she would know about this." Homura declared.

"Perhaps we can help one another out." Brave said, walking forward. "You say your friend was kidnapped. I am against kidnapping, even if it is the enemy. And since one of the girls you described was in fact kidnapped by my allies, I bet you can imagine the dispute that ensued. After which they sent me on guard duty where I got shot."

"And what are you saying, Mr. Robot?" Homura folded her arms.

"As a member of the Sages Syndicate Alliance, I give you my word to help you find your kidnapped friend. All I ask is that you accompany me till an ally is found or death do us part." Brave replied.

"The last part was pretty out there, but I think we should take him up on the offer." Mirai said. "Besides, a cool robot on our side and we're like heroes in a mecha manga!"

"Wait a second, we're just trusting this robot thingy?" Homura asked.

"He's our only lead for now on all this insanity." Haruka said.

"Besides," Yomi giggled, "He is very well-mannered, and I can't detect any malice. He's got a soft heart under that hard exterior."

Homura shook her head. "I just have a bad feeling about this."


	16. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Sentiments of an Underling

Linda sat on zabuton pillows around a built-in Japanese Irori along with Warechu and Mr. Badd. The comforting, clean environment would have distracted her had her allies not been talking. "I say we oughtta run away when we have the chance! You've seen what those girls can do, chu! They repelled the very ones we're running away from! If they find out the truth, we're dead, chu!"

Mr. Badd shook his head, "Nay. You are not thinking ahead, rat! We don't know where we are or where our next meals will come from! I say we bide our time here, scout out the area, and then decide our next course of action."

"And keep up this whole 'daughter being chased by government wackos' nonsense? Like hell we'll get away with it!" Linda folded her arms, "first off, that entire act was cringey as hell! Even if we were a…" Linda gagged on her words, "family, they'd still be onto us after a while."

"Hmph. It wasn't that bad." Mr. Badd leaned back, looking more relaxed. "I thought you both made a great daughter and pet duo." Linda turned her head with a scoff.

"Well, what about you, underling? You got a better idea, chu?"

"I have a NAME, dammit! And you of all people have no room for that underling crap, under-rat!" the two began spitting remarks back and fourth at each other, Linda's facial muscles tightening as the mouse's tone grated against her.

"That's enough! Goodness, you all certainly act like children." Badd sighed. "Now, do you have an idea or not, Und-eerrr… Linda?"

"tch. The only one who's not hurt's the short one for now. I say we gang up on her while she's least expecting it, and beat-… eh… beat em and eat em! That's a fun family classic to play at night, eh?" Linda smiled awkwardly as Kafuru walked in with a tray of cups.

"Here. It's Gyokuro tea. It'll help you." Kafuru said, passing out the cups. The group gave a simultaneous 'thank you very much', to which Kafuru glanced Warechu a strange look. Linda glared at Warechu, swiping her fingers across her neck before looking at Kafuru with an awkward smile and a slightly higher pitched voice.

"Ehehehe. Chuchu thanks you too. Ain't that right, little guy?" Linda grinned, Warechu attempting to make cute 'chu chu' noises.

"Well, I'm glad you're thankful at least." Kafuru's tone lowered into passive-aggression. "My sisters were hurt because of you."

"Oh, and that's our fault, why?!" Linda snarled at her comment.

"Why do you think? You led them to our doorstep, and we were kind enough to defend your sorry asses!" Kafuru folded her arms, her snide tone heightened despite the short stature, serving only to irk Linda more.

"Alright bitch, if you think I'm gonna take that crap from you-…" Linda started to get up, but Mr. Badd put his hand out before intervening.

"Please, Linda honey. These are very stressing times for all of us. And, miss Kafuru, was it? We are indeed very grateful to our saviors. How are your sisters doing, by the way?"

"We're doing just fine!" Linda looked over, seeing a bandaged Renka in the shoji doorway.

"Renka, what are you doing out of bed?!" Kafuru shouted.

"What does it look like, dummy? Standin' and walkin'!" Renka retorted.

"You're the dummy, Renka! You should be resting!"

"I did rest. Besides, can't have you escalating things all the time." Renka smiled, Kafuru replied with stuttering 'buts' to which Renka patted her sister's head, "You're fine, little sister." She turned to the others, "It wasn't your fault. And please, feel free to help yourselves to whatever in our kitchen. You may stay here for now. All we ask is that ya don't cause trouble."

"Thank you very much, miss Renka. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated." Mr. Badd gave a slight bow towards Renka, who then smiled, sitting on the end between Linda and Badd, Kafuru helping her down as Renka winced at her wounds.

"Welp, since I know you're too stubborn for your own good, would you like some tea, sis?" Kafuru offered, to which Renka accepted. As Renka asked where they were from, Linda went silent, but not because she was put on the spot. As Mr. Badd began slowly drawing out places, soon playing along with Renka that they came from a place called 'North Korea', Linda's mind wandered down the old memories trail.

Where she was from? It had been a long time since somebody asked her that. Why would they? They didn't care when a family of immigrant Night Elves applied as Lowee businessmen, instead giving them cheap laboring jobs. And because that very family couldn't get what they desired, they brought their own spiteful insecurities onto their young daughter, which she carried with her growing up. 'Some people will never amount to anything' they would say. The words rang in Linda's head like a hive of bees. Hateful bees that kept stinging her throughout life whether it involved her mother destroying her project she took nearly a week to work on, or getting suspended from school vandalism she was barely a part of while others got off scot free, or suffering mistreatment from a gang she at first considered family.

"…Linda… Hey! Underling!" Linda gasped as Warechu's voice broke her thoughts. "What's your deal, chu? You been real quiet for a long time. Baddy's had to cover for you, chu. Though I admit I'm a kinda impressed he can come up with such crazy improv stories for an old man."

"Hmph. When you've been around as long as I have, then tons of experience is something you've got under your belt." Badd spoke.

"Then why don't ya convince em to just give us all their food or better yet… just donate their house to us, chu? I'm anxious to see how far your 'experience' can take us, Mister Bald." Warechu snidely remarked.

"I guess you can take the rat out of the sewer but you can't take the sewer out of the rat. I am a patient man, but you best be watching which buttons you push, Warechu." Badd grimaced with a gleam of his glasses. "Now, let us get back to the topic at hand."

"Tch. Finally." Linda complained, "We can't stay here. Who knows when those dumb broads will be back with reinforcements! And it's like Warechu said earlier. If _these_ girls catch us, we're equally if not more dead than with that crazy Lowee CPU."

"Just how the hell can one be 'more dead', chu?" Warechu shrugged his little shoulders.

Badd then took over the conversation. "Linda, did CFW Magic tell you anything about this… sphere thing?"

Linda scoffed, "I wish. Once we regroup, I've got quite a few questions for her. All I know is that she never mentioned it, and by the time we knew something was being hidden… well, you know the rest."

"Still, we really ought to be more aware of our surroundings until we can find our allies. It's dangerous with those CPUs still lurking about, or worse those creatures." Badd replied.

Warechu shivered. "There was something about those monsters that made them even more terrifying than that sadistic airhead, chu. There was so much bloodlust in their eyes… it was like they lost any animal instinct they once had, chu."

"Which is exactly why we must take at LEAST two days here to give ourselves enough time to scout out the area." Badd stated.

"Fine, but I still say we steal some stuff. While you're scouting out the area, I'm going to scout out the kitchen, chu." Warechu placed his paws on his hips, sticking his nose up which only served to make him snobbier than Abnes, at least Linda thought so.

"Don't just go in there recklessly! What if they catch you!?" Linda exclaimed.

Warechu had now crawled onto the table before jumping onto a wooden pole, climbing up to a shelf, and proceeding to pass by a small Kimidana. "As much as I hate putting on the cute act, it's got one advantage that I can tolerate, chu. If I start stealin stuff they'd never think such an innocent little rodent knows any better! Maybe I should try that approach on Compa so I can steal her heart, chu." Warechu laughed before climbing up through a small shoji window to the other side.

"That putz. I bet he doesn't even know where the kitchen is." Linda pouted.

"Well, I'm sure I wouldn't either if I was spacing out while Miss Renka told us exactly where it was." Badd's reply irked her blood.

"Shut up." Linda quickly gulped down the rest of her tea, letting the cup roll onto the table as she got up, storming out of the room. Dark clouds smothered Linda's head as she let her legs do the thinking. She just wanted to get away from it all. Linda made her way out to a porch that wrapped around the inside of the shrine where a small garden could be seen in the middle. The night sky illuminated the garden below with the moon as it's heavenly lamp. Sitting on the edge of the engawa porch with legs crossed, a long sigh drifted from her mouth as her mind once more began wandering.

* * *

Surrounded by cold walls and steel bars, Linda sat stiffly on a lone bench in a cell. Drained of all emotion, she felt light as a husk, wondering why she had not yet fallen off the bench. Not a muscle moved, even when the Loweean guard knocked on the door saying she had a visitor. As the footsteps drew closer to the cell, Linda could make out a woman's voice she didn't recognize, which had a deep, almost entrancing tone to it. "Might I have your name?"

Still not looking up, Linda's sorry, scratched voice uttered the words, "What's it to ya?"

"I was impressed by that heist you nearly pulled off. It's a pity you ran with a crowd who saw you as nothing but disposable." The woman said.

"Laugh it up all you want… I have nothing left to live for." Linda's voice cracked.

"I'm not here to laugh. Mind telling me where you're from?"

Linda suddenly turned an angry head towards the bars, seeing the cloaked woman who only revealed a small portion of her lavender-skinned face with pink bangs of hair just above a pair of gold, glowing eyes. "WHY DO YOU CARE?! Why should you care!? You don't know me! I haven't done anything for you! Besides, nobody cares that I got caught… I'm just… an underling after all. Just… an underling." Linda crumpled to her knees, her eyes flushing with water as she said the word 'underling'.

"You've seen the way Gamindustri is run by these reckless CPUs. You know the damage they cause. Many complain, but not all are willing to do something about it. I've been watching your little gang for a while now. And I haven't seen devotion like yours in a long time. Together we can change Gamindustri. Join me and your name will go down in history." The woman said.

"Heh. Please. You talk delusions of grandeur. If you have a plan, then get me out of here." Linda scoffed, unamused. The woman smirked, slowly raising a hand, a ball of energy forming in her palm. Linda's eyes widened, backing up till she was against the opposite side of the wall. "H-hey! That looks dangerous!" Next thing she knew, the woman had blasted apart her cell doors before killing the two guards that had let her in. With her back against the wall, Linda froze up, the only movement her trembling body. "Wh-who are you?!"

"You can call me Magic. Now will you tell me yours, since I told you mine?" the woman asked once more. Linda gulped before telling Magic her name. "Well then, Linda. Do we have a deal?" Magic held out her hand. Linda's fingers trembled, hesitating for a moment before embracing what would soon become her destiny.

* * *

Linda shook her head. _Oh yeah, Magic was the last one to ask me that… Jeez. Why am I thinking of that now of all times? _She turned suddenly to see Renka coming out the door, with her hair let down out of the buns Linda was used to seeing as she walked up wearing a loose kimono, which revealed the inner sides of her cleavage and down her stomach until it closed into a belt near her lower torso. "Heya. Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Oh… Hehe. No, I was just… staring at the moon, ya know. It's… pretty and… whatnot." Linda gave a forced chuckle, trying to sound more girly.

Renka held a plate of small, powdery pastries. "Would you like some Daifuku?"

"I… don't have any money." Linda said.

Renka laughed, "Money?! What kinda con artists you take us for?! You think Kafuru woulda given you tea so openly if we expected something from it?"

"Oh… I… guess not." Linda reached out, taking the Daifuku, hesitating before biting into it. The sweet tang of the red bean filling oozed into her mouth, alighting her taste buds with euphoria which melted her suspicious frown into a smile. "It's been a while since I had something this sweet."

"Ain't it good!? Especially in the moonlight with company!" Renka hollered before wincing at her wounds, holding the bandaged spots.

"Still… there's nothing you want from us later? Clean up around the place, shake down some deadbeats, help ya with shopping or whatnot. Why be so kind to us and expect nothing in return?" Linda looked over, making eye contact with Renka.

"Because… we know what it's like to be branded as outcasts. A long time ago my sisters and I were part of a village. And… due to our own negligence, we got someone killed. Someone who was very important to our entire village." Renka's eyes dropped to the ground.

Linda looked over with curiosity, taking another bite of her Daifuku, asking Renka to go on. Renka sat up, folder her arms over her legs. "As if being racked with guilt wasn't enough, we thought it was a good idea to come clean. We were then banished from the village…" Renka then looked back towards Linda. "We expect nothing of you because we know you've suffered just as us. I imagine it hasn't been easy with everyone picking on you for being different."

"Heh… hasn't been easy for sure." Linda finished the rest of her Daifuku before standing up. "Still… at least you folks _HAD _some dignity. Some people are born without it. And without it, they'll never amount to anything."

"Nuh uh!" Renka's quick response startled Linda, quickly turning her head, "Ya, it's true, some folks have it hard. Dealt a bad card at birth, some of em'. But that does not mean you cannot pull yourself from your stinky beginnings and rise up to be something great. Yeah, some folks never do… But I say only thing holdin' em back is themselves." Renka's eyes beamed at Linda, who couldn't understand why this girl's positivity made her stomach feel sick.

Linda turned, opening the shoji doors before pausing a moment as if Renka's words were preventing her from running away from her problems once again. A long sigh left her mouth, Linda forcing herself back to the living quarters where a couple of futons lie. Mr. Badd was already sitting up in one of them, reading his favorite business book that he had on him. Warechu had a small pillow which he used as a sleeping bag. "Linda, you shoulda seen their pantries. These broads are loaded, chu! I snatched these from the cupboards, chu." Warechu tossed her a pack of pocky. "Badd and I already had some, so help yourself, chu."

Straight-faced, Linda took the box, muttering a simple 'mm-hm' before covering up in the Futon. Badd and Warechu exchanged perplexed glances. "Is there something troubling you, Linda?" Badd asked, putting his book down.

"Yeah, you keep bein' this gloomy and you'll be in the Neppess Book of Gamindustri Records, chu." Linda silently kept her back turned. "Fine, don't talk to us. Just don't pig up all the pocky, chu."

Silently, Linda slowly opened the pocky box, pulling a few of the chocolate cream sticks out, staring intently as though analyzing something, but all she could see was the kindness of Renka and her sisters. Her hand trembled, close to breaking the pocky. _What the hell? I never had problems with stealing, hell I've done worse than that! So why? Why now? _Forcing her hand to her mouth, she chewed down aggressively. Though they tasted sweet, the strange knot in Linda's stomach did not want to leave. Looking at the expiration date, she scoffed before going to bed.

* * *

The following morning, Warechu grabbed the cloth shopping bag he had found the previous night. Crawling through the same window he had before, he smirked at the sight of the kitchen. "Hehehe. Time for a raid." Climbing in cupboards and digging through drawers, he started carefully taking food and objects he thought they might not miss, or at least realize right away. After a while, the mouse's shopping bag was almost 2/3s full as he dragged it onto the counter. "UGH! Maybe I shoulda asked Baddy or Linda for help, chu. This shit's heavy! Baddy better hurry and get back here with his 'scouting'. I don't wanna have to deal with these dangerous broads anymore than I have to CHUUU!" Warechu dove inside the bag as he found a pair of large green eyes staring straight at him.

"Huuuh? Did… you just talk?" Hanabi tilted her head in confusion. Warechu slowly came out, sniffing the ground and going, 'chu, chu.' _Oh man oh man! I can't remember if that's the dumb one or not! I hope she doesn't suspect anything, chuuu! _Hanabi scratched her chin, "Nah, it couldn't be. Mice don't talk… But then… why is Kafuru's bag on the table with all those goodies? Nooo… a mouse could never… oooorrrrgghhh. Nonono! I can't think of it here!"

Just then Linda walked in to find the scene. Gulping, she quickly walked over to where Warechu was, picking him up in a singsong voice, "Oh, there you are Chuchu! I was wondering where you got off to ya little bas-… I mean you silly." She then turned to Hanabi, "I am sorry. I hope he did not cause any trouble."

"Oh no. He was just fine. Cutely hiding in our little bag." Hanabi smiled, but kept her eyes on Linda, "although, I don't remember sticking this bag on the counter. Renka's still in bed and Kafuru never uses it unless we go out… You wouldn't happen to have seen anything… have you?"

"Tch. I've never seen that bag before! Hell, this was the first time I've been in your kitchen." Linda protested.

"Then… why was our bag out… full of groceries… and… I could have sworn I heard your mouse talking… but… mice don't talk. And if none of my sisters-… UURGH." Hanabi started holding her head.

"Augh! What's wrong?!" Linda stepped back with a start.

"Too much. Thinking… gonna… explode." Hanabi held her head, seemingly in pain.

"Explode?" Linda began laughing, "What are ya, too much of a ditz to think?"

"NOOOO! I mean it! Please, I beg of you! Water… on… my face!" Hanabi crumpled to her knees, holding onto the counter as her face began turning a light shade of red.

"Better do as she says. I smell something bad gonna happen, chu." Warechu mumbled through his lips. Linda frantically looked around for a cup before reaching for a random bowl on a shelf. Quickly filling it in the sink, she splashed it on Hanabi's head, the latter's heightened breathing now began to alleviate.

"So, you used our Shinto ritual bowl to douse Hanabi, eh?" came the voice of Kafuru, standing in the doorway.

"AUGH! Ritual bowl?!" Linda quickly dropped the bowl back onto the nearby counter.

"Normally, you would be in trouble. But this is one case where we can let it slide. If Hanabi went off in here, the damage would be irreversible. Better cleanin up a little bit of water and a bowl than mounds of debris. Have fun." Kafuru walked off.

"Kafu-… ugh. What a pain." Hanabi sighed. "Anyhow, thank you very much. You don't know how bad that would have been for all of us had I exploded."

"So… what exactly is this explosion you're talking about?" Linda asked. Warechu began to ask as well until Linda shut his mouth, laughing nervously and pretending to make her 'pet' speak. "Heehee. Chuchu was also wondering, 'ooh just what are you talking about, chu.'?"

Almost instinctively, Linda began helping Hanabi put away the bagged food, despite Warechu's charade attempts to stop them. "Well… it's a bit of a story. My sisters and I come from a village far away from here. And… due to an incident we got banished."

"I heard. Your sister, Renka, told me." Linda mentioned.

"Well then, before the banishment… Renka was to receive a punishment from one of the elders. Because we failed to inform anyone in the village without thinking about it… the elder readied a curse and said, 'If you ever get any more bright ideas, perhaps this will make you think twice from now on.' I couldn't bear to have our sister take all the blame just because she was the eldest. Being the dummy I am, I pushed her out of the way and… took it for her. And now I live with being a ticking time bomb that can never think too hard about things."

Linda's eyes widened. "My CPU, that's horrible! And I thought I had it bad. I…" Linda gulped, the same troubled feeling in her stomach returned as she said the words, "I… I hope that… your sisters take good care of you."

"Oh, we all take good care of each other. That's what family does after all. Renka especially feels guilty over the incident. But I keep telling her not to worry. I brought it upon myself after all." Hanabi smiled.

"Really? After what you've been put through, you don't expect anything from them?"

"Why should I expect anything more than our sisterly bond, after all? They're family. Yeah, it's no fun being a living firecracker at times, but we make it through. And ya know what… I can see you have a loving family too. Your father seems to be a wonderful man. And even though you've had it rough, you seem to be A-Okay yourself." Hanabi gave a thumbs up, but her positivity only weighed down on the lie they constructed, making Linda look away. "Well, I gotta go perform Shrine duties now. Help yourselves to whatever, alright?"

The moment Hanabi left and closed the door, Warechu face planted onto the counter. "What the hell were you thinkin', chu?! Putting away all that food I successfully looted! Who's side are you on, chu?!"

"Me?! What the hell were YOU thinking?! The innocent pet act may work for YOU, but if I didn't start helpin' her put things away, she woulda thought I did it! Did you see the way she looked at me?!" Linda barked back.

"Yeah, so super effective that the underling used fake tears, chu." Warechu snickered.

"Like hell you'd know anything about feelings, filthy rat. And I wasn't crying! It's just… complicated." Linda sighed.

"Hey! I know you hate the underling spiel, but there's no need to call me filthy! In fact, I am the most cleanly of my species, chu!" Warechu and Linda continued their comical back and forth, not realizing that Hanabi had stepped back into the doorway.

"Oh. I forgot to tell you guys that there's also some cookies on the top… shelf?" Hanabi's eyes widened into white, cartoony circles as her mouth gaped.

"Crap. You weren't supposed to hear that, chu." Linda smacked Warechu as he said the words "Hey! That's animal abuse!" Hanabi turned around, running out and about calling for Renka when Linda ran up and smacked her in the back of the head with her iron pipe, knocking her out. "What'dja go and do that for, chu?!"

"Well maybe if you'd have kept your damn mouth shut, I wouldn't have had to!"

"Whatever, let's just put her in the closet or something, grab as much stuff we can carry and get the hell outta here, chu! Baddy will have to catch up later." Linda then began helping Warechu pick up an unconscious Hanabi when Linda stopped, the discomforting twist in her stomach returning. "Hey! What are ya doin, chu! We need to move. Now!"

"I don't understand… I've always been okay with crime. Why… why is it bothering me only now?!" Linda trembled, confused frustration seething from her breath.

"Huh. So NOW you choose to grow a conscience? Wow, you really are going for the record books, chu. And here I only thought you the world champion at being called an underling peon." Warechu snickered.

With a combination of the situation and her ally's comment, Linda growled, quickly shoving Hanabi into the closet. "Let's just get what we can and go. This place is doin' stuff to me and I don't like it."

"I'll say, chu." Moving quickly, Linda helped Warechu take what supplies they could stuff into the bag before the two headed out the back door, all the while the knot in her stomach twisting tighter until, by the time they were out the door, it reached her chest, hanging on her heart like a mysterious burden which only seemed to pull even harder when Linda looked back at the fading shrine. Forcing herself away, Linda began running. After all, it was what she knew best.


	17. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Inspector Gessen

The cicadas sang a summer symphony through the window of Hanzo Academy, riding on a cool breeze. Kiriya folded his arms in silence as he slowly paced about the main school room with slow, pondering steps and an anxious hand stroking his chin as though to try and rub away answers he was unable to find. A small necklaced locket in his hand revealed a black and white picture of two boys and a girl, the latter of whom was the eldest. Without even so much as moving a muscle, Kiriya opened his eyes, his back to the entree way as he spoke. "Yumi. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

She stood in the doorway; hands folded at the waist just above the skirt of her grey Gessen Academy uniform. Taking a bow, Yumi addressed the Hanzo teacher. "Master Kiriya. I apologize for the unexpected visit. I am sure you might be a little suspicious about this, but something strange is happening across Japan. Something I feel is bigger than all of us. And that is why I must speak with you."

Kiriya turned around, "Indeed, something is definitely amiss, I assume you refer to the strange yoma that have been appearing around lately. Though it's quite possible that they aren't yoma at all."

Yumi nodded, looking around at the empty room with no Katsuragi near the dressing room and no Hibari near the chabudai table. "Where are Asuka, Ikaruga, and the others?"

Kiriya took a few steps closer beside Yumi. "I'm afraid you've come at a very bad time, Yumi. Our class rep has been captured by a school of evil shinobi. One of which has kept themselves in the shadows, even among most shinobi."

"Ikaruga's been kidnapped? But why? Who are these evil shinobi?!" Yumi's eyes widened at the news.

"I don't know why. The Secret Gokudo Boys Academy has always kept to themselves. To make this kind of move now is unacceptable, albeit a bit disturbing."

"So you sent the Hanzo girls off by themselves? Even though an act like this is a violation of shinobi code?!" Yumi's lips frowned an undertone of anger.

"It is not proper etiquette for shinobi teachers to get involved in schoolyard fights. If we always fight our battles for our students, how will they ever learn-…"

"I KNOW THAT! But this is unacceptable! You said it yourself! Are you telling me, Master Kiriya, that you would sit by and let some disgruntled academy get away with this?!" with arms folded, Yumi waited for an answer, but Kiriya didn't respond. "Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice by not finishing our schools' Shinobi Battle Royale in the old way. With all due respect, Master Kiriya, perhaps it is not entirely Asuka and the other's fault that they lack discipline. I shall go to this Gokudo Boys Academy myself. Good day, sir." Yumi bowed, taking her leave.

Kiriya looked down at the locket once more with the three children. A long sigh let slip through his mouth before closing the locket.

* * *

Yumi walked just outside Hanzo Academy to find MAGES. by a vending machine, holding a cell phone in the air from a very nervous woman with glasses, who was swiping at MAGES. like a child getting picked on. "I-i-I didn't mean to take pictures of you! I swear! I was just admiring the school!"

MAGES. kept her hand with the phone raised high, moving it back and forth like a pendulum, "You saw me with this delectable can of Duck Tear Popper and decided to report me to your nefarious organization! But alas, I have caught on to your schemes, underling. If you wish to see your precious electronic communication device again, I demand that you delete the incriminating evidence from your internal memory reader."

Suddenly MAGES. squeezed her hand, realizing it was empty. Beside her, an annoyed Yumi had swiped the phone off of her. "Mages… is there a reason you were harassing this citizen?"

MAGES. sweatdropped before pointing at the woman, "Y-yumi!... This suspicious looking individual was snapping photos of my consumption of Duck P, meaning she is a spy for the organization! Isn't that right, Gleaming Thumbs?"

"No, it's not! And who are you calling Gleaming Thumbs!? My name is Maeko!" The woman sweatdropped in the most pitiful manner.

Yumi sighed in embarrassment, "Please forgive my friend here. She is a little bit out there. Here, ma'am. I am sorry for the inconvenience." The woman bowed, thanking Yumi and quickly leaving. "What is your problem, Mages?" Yumi huffed unamusement towards MAGES.

"Mine?! Need I remind you, you let a potential spy get away with incriminating evidence of consumption of Duck P!"

"So? People drink soda all the time." Yumi frowned.

"Yumi, Yumi, Yumi. My friend, my compatriot, my assistant-in-wizardry. Duck P. is no ordinary beverage. Duck Tear Popper is a drink of the of intellectual of only the highest caliber, which is why the organization wants to erase it from this timeline! And for Nep's sake, woman. It is not mages, it's MAGES. With all caps and a period."

Yumi sighed, "Yes well… I'm afraid this is where we must part ways, MAGES. I have a situation come up and I cannot risk your safety."

MAGES. almost looked hurt, "Yumi. But… The Door of the Fate Stone dictated on this very day, by this very hour that we would be bound together as Mad Magician and Assistant! Whatever lies ahead, we will rush headlong into the great unknown! You did agree to this earlier, did you not?"

"EH?!" Yumi's eyes bulged before she began sweatdropping. "W-well yes, I did… say that and all, but I was just talking in the momen-…"

"Then please, do not continue this cruel exhibition of rejection. I know we have not found the time yet to astonish you with my abilities, but to doubt my skills as a wizard is a fate worse than erased memories." MAGES. closed her eyes, a solemn frown forming on her lips.

Yumi began walking, "You keep up that and I will definitely deny you."

"I see. A crafty one, but that's to be expected when you are my assistant. So then, Yumi. Do you know where our destination lies?"

"I… I don't know." Yumi let out a sad sigh. MAGES. looked at her in curiosity, asking what was wrong. "I… I got so caught in my own sense of justice that… I rudely stormed out on our only lead… on my elder. Not like he'd forgive me now. Looks like I'm on my own."

Yumi then felt a hand on her shoulder as MAGES. came up behind her, "I have told you before, have I not? The Door of Fate Stone has bound us. I shall not leave you to this journey alone. I may be mad, but I shall not abandon my comrades."

A slight smile on Yumi's face grew. _I didn't believe her at first, but… I sense this power from her. She's not lying. _"Thank you, Mages. Still, we have no idea where to begin."

"Then allow me to assist." A male voice called out.

* * *

Murakumo and Minori quickly hopped out of the bus, running down the street and past the great Tokyo Dome theme park. Minori's eyes widened as a yearning squeal left her mouth. "Murakumo, Murakumo! Can we stop at Tokyo Dome City!? Just for a little bit! Pleeeaaase?"

"You know full well we can't do that, Minori. We've already lost track of Yumi with that mass crowd going through Kabuki-cho." Murakumo folded her arms, her deep voice relaying an air of authority towards Minori.

Minori folded her arms, starting to pout when she smiled, "Yeah! See, if we already lost her, there's no need try and catch up."

"That's not how it works, Minori." Murakumo stated. "Now, let us move on."

Minori's head dropped, biting her lip in frustration, the insides of her eyes beginning to water as she gazed at the passing entrance of Tokyo Dome City with longing in her heart. Just then, she had an idea, a smirk forming on her lips. "WAIT! Murakumo! I sense a shinobi's presence, coming from in there!" Minori pointed at the admissions gate.

"Nice try Mino-…" Murakumo suddenly gasped. "Wait. You're right!"

"HUH!? It actually worked!?" Minori's eyes bulged before realizing what she said, "I mean, uh… oops."

Murakumo sighed, "We'll talk about that later. Let's go!" Hiding their presence, Minori and Murakumo swiftly snuck into the park, passing trees, benches, and all sorts of food stands undetected. Finally, they stopped above a thick tree, which overlooked an open park area where they saw her. A girl with a white top and a long blue ponytail, staring down at a map like a lost foreigner.

"This isn't a Gamindustri map. Where the hell am I?" She complained in a nonchalant, yet unamused tone. "Geez, I swear if this is all one big prank, Marvy and I are gonna have a long talk."

"She's the one. Seen her before?" Minori whispered, Murakumo shaking her head. The girl suddenly looked up, looking around before she began staring straight at the tree where the two Gessen students hid. "Me thinks she sees us." Minori whispered.

"Might as well come down. I know you're up there." The girl shrugged casually.

"Uh! She's good." Murakumo commented, before jumping down from the tree, Minori swiftly following after. "So, shinobi. You've sniffed us out. Impressive. Where are you from? Tounou Tengu? Shinozuka? Zodiac Star?"

"Nah. I'm from Takaki Academy." She replied.

"Takaki? I never heard of no Takaki. Does it taste good?" Minori licked her lips.

"Now that you mention it, you threw out a few names that bring back a couple of memories. But the question is how would…" the girl let out a light gasp, looking straight at Murakumo. "You… you wouldn't happen to be… Murakumo?"

"UH?! Th-that is none of your concern." Murakumo began shaking under her mask.

"One of the Gessen five, born and raised in the slums, adopted by the Tairo Corporation, has a ninja friend named Yomi. Oh what else did Marvy say about her?" the girl scratched her chin, pondering.

"I-I-I have NO IDEA What you're talking about!" Murakumo began to stutter, her deep voice just barely slipping a pitch higher.

"Oooh, oooh! Do you know anything of me?!" Minori asked excitedly.

"Hm?" The girl looked at Minori intently, "No, can't say that I do."

"Minori! You shouldn't be so happy about this!" Murakumo stammered.

The girl shook her head, "Still… behavior like that is a big giveaway but… it couldn't be… it's just a big coincidence, right? There's only one way to find out." The next thing Murakumo knew, the outside light shone into her face as the girl snatched her mask off her.

A small but high-pitched, inhaling scream could be heard form Murakumo's mouth as she fell on her knees, hyperventilating. "No no nononononono! Please… give it back. Give it back I beg you I'll die! No no no! Don't look at me, Don'tlookatme, Don'tlookatme!" small tears began to form in Murakumo's eyes as she peeked around through shaking fingers. She didn't want anybody to see, and yet knew the very sight of her mess on the ground would only make them stare more, which caused her body's trembling to heighten and her temperature to fluctuate.

On the other hand, the blue-haired girl seemed lost in her own world as she examined the mask. "No… it can't be. But… she's just Marvy's character! And yet… The Maker Sphere?! It couldn't be…"

"MinoriMinoriNori! Ple-e-e-eaase, do somethi-i-i-i-iing." Murakumo began to cry.

"Uh uh uh!... I… I'm big too! Shinobi… Kekkai!" Minori held her hand up as a reddish-purple sphere expanded around them, turning the area into what looked like an abandoned park.

"WHAT!? But… Kekkai is just a theory! An old legend!" The girl's eyes widened.

"Hey! Give back her mask!" Minori then tackled the girl onto her butt, smacking her with her bucket and grabbing Murakumo's mask, tossing it back.

"Thank you, Minori! Thank you!" Murakumo cried, slowly catching her breath, donning her mask once again. "You… you clearly know more about me than I thought. Hitting me in my most vulnerable spot! Who… who are you?!"

Before the girl could shake off her dizziness, Minori had grabbed onto her shirt, "Wait. I see a nametaaag! Hmm… Tam… soft?" Minori then began poking the girl's exposed stomach. "Hmm… Your tummy is soft. And I don't know what a Tam is… so Imma call you Tum-Soft."

"Ow. Who goes hitting people with buckets?" Tamsoft's eyes made contact with Minori's. "Wait a minute. Now I think I remember. Aren't you the dumb one who likes candy?"

"Mmmr! I do love candy, but you a meanie, Tum-Soft! I ain't no dummy!" Minori punched Tamsoft in the stomach before jumping back beside Murakumo.

"Agh. I didn't mean it like that… Damn, this is all coming out wrong. This whole thing is wrong!" Tamsoft got up, holding her stomach.

"Indeed, it is wrong." Murakumo's voice dripped of subtle anger, pointing her hooked spear at Tamsoft. "So… Tum-Soft of Takaki Academy. Prepare yourself!"

"A spear and cleaver too?! H-hey, wait a minute! This is all a misunderstanding." Tamsoft backed up, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword, but Murakumo rushed at her jabbing her spear rapidly. Tamsoft performed a backflip, drawing her sword in defense, "Whoa! Hey! Chill out will ya!"

Murakumo, however, followed up with a leaping dive from her spear. Tamsoft, barely dodging the spear, met Murakumo's cleaver with her sword, the two in a blade lock, until Murakumo pushed Tamsoft back before sending a white wolf dashing towards her direction. "Kotaro! Sick her!"

Tamsoft jumped over the wolf. "I knew it. Still… It's incredible. I didn't think she was this strong! What am I saying? This is madness." Tamsoft held her blade in a defensive stance.

"Um… Murakumo. Why are we fighting her anyways?" Minori asked.

"This girl is a spy, Minori! And even if she isn't, she knows too much about me! Enough to know that you do NOT TAKE MY MASK!" Murakumo screamed the last words in a higher pitch, when suddenly she looked back to see Tamsoft upon her, bringing her blade down.

Tamsoft held a blade-lock with Murakumo. "I still can't believe I am seeing you… in the flesh… like… you're real."

"You're crazy." Murakumo commented. "Now tell me… Tum-soft from Takaki. How do you know so much about me?"

"You think you'd believe me if I told you?" Tamsoft replied. "And another thing. It's Tamsoft! Tammy to my friends! ARGH!" Tamsoft shoved Murakumo off of her before dashing around in a few black clouds before knocking Murakumo to the ground. A circular shadow appeared where Tamsoft stood. "What?! Pancakes!?" Looking up, she demonstrated her blade skills by quickly slicing up the pile of giant pancakes into small pieces.

"Aww. You ruined my gigunda pancakes!" Minori pouted. "Buuut. I guess they be smaller for eating now. Hehe." Murakumo had now gotten up and was beside Minori as they faced Tamsoft.

"I still can't believe I'm looking at them. To think… they were real… all this time." Tamsoft nervously watched both Minori and Murakumo. Even though she knew what their movesets would be, facing them was a different experience altogether.

"Well, believe it." Murakumo said. "Now, shall we finish this? Kataro, Kagero. Come forth!" a black wolf now joined Murakumo's recent white wolf. "Bite her good with our Secret Ninja Art!"

Minori pulled back her bucket, "Take a blast of sweetie snackies!"

Tamsoft gasped, retaliating with her own move. "Secret Ninja Art: Invincible Flash Master!" Tamsoft dashed forward, slicing rapidly into the fray of Murakumo's Wolves. Murakumo and Tamsoft both found their outfits shredded, the latter screaming in a blushing red embarrassment. "AUGH! Damn it! I shoulda remembered! This is all Marvy and X-Sha's fault, the bunch of pervs. Lose their clothes as they get hurt, they said. It's fanservice, they said."

"ooh. My outfit's kinda ripped." Minori whined.

"You think you got it rough?" Murakumo was in rags, with little covering on her arms, legs and across the crotch area. Suddenly the Kekkai disappeared, the girls now back at the amusement park. Tamsoft squealed in embarrassment at all the people now staring at them.

"EEEGH! No no NOOO this can't be happening to me! Why, Marvy!? Why, X-Sha!? Why did I ever agree to work on that story with YOOOUUU!" Tamsoft dashed off in spurts of dark clouds.

"HEY! Wait up!" Murakumo called out, but Tamsoft had fled.

"Murakumo? You not bothered by this?" Minori asked.

"Of course, I am. She spilled my entire life to me as if I was a character in a manga! As if she was some kind of stalker-…" Minori tapped her on the arm, pointing at all the people who awkwardly stared as they passed by, some even making phone calls. "Oh! that. Well, as long as I have my mask, they cannot know that it's me. But we should change into our ninja clothes."

After quickly vanishing from the area, the girls found a bathroom to change in. Walking out like cosplayers, Minori folded her arms, thinking. "It was kinda strange how she knew all about you… yet all she did was call me a dummy."

Murakumo stopped as they were passing a shop with a TV in the window, where a news anchor spoke. "The black machine has not stopped it's rampage, running riot through the Chuo-ku district. All citizen within the area are to evacuate immediately. The JSDF are assembling as we speak."

Murakumo watched as a bladed cyan and black robot ran through the streets, smashing buildings and cars along the way with it's giant halberd, seemingly enjoying itself. "Yumi will have to wait."

"Eh!? What are you saying, Murakumo? Didn't Yozakura say-…" Minori's eyes widened.

"Yozakura will understand. And some day you will to. We can't allow evil to destroy anymore, Minori. Let's go."


	18. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Crossover Conundrum

_**Author's Disclaimer: **_The following contains lyrics/variation of lyrics from "Tokyo Bon". All rights belong to Namewee and Cool Japan TV. Check out the song on Youtube if you haven't.

* * *

A bump in the road and Neptune nearly flew from the seat that was strapped down inside the box truck bed, along with all of what remained of Ayame's merchandise. "WHOOOOAAA! I almost fell out of the truck! If I have to start over from the beginning of the fanfic with no continues, I'm gonna be nepping angry. Although, where did Puchiko go? Uh oh! She's so small! Don't tell me she fell off the truck!"

"Don't you remember that's why I put myself in here, nyu?" Broccoli's head popped out of a nearby chest, glancing an unamused frown towards Nep. "And how many times do I have to ask you to stop calling me Puchiko, nyu?"

"Um… well… Tekken, Ayame. Help me out, would ya?" Neptune sweatdropped, but found that Tekken was now busy trying to convince Ayame that they had come from another dimension. Ayame and Tekken were becoming fast friends, going off topic and talking about all sorts of stuff such as shopping and fighting styles.

"So much for keeping it under wraps, nyu." Broccoli sighed.

"Oh, it's fine, Puchiko. We helped her fight off that Galakryzer. So naturally, we'd come to understand and help each other and all be good buddies now, right?" Neptune smiled, turning towards Ayame and Tekken.

Tekken nodded a happy 'mhm' Nep's direction before Ayame gave her own reply. "Of course, I'd love to be friends with all of you. I'm still not sure about this whole dimension thing, but considering what's been going on, I don't have reason to believe you're lying. Though I have to ask, how did you know that machine was going to strike. it was obviously paralyzed."

"Yeah, it happened so fast that even I didn't see it." Tekken added, "Did something happen, Neptune?"

"I dunno. it was like some kinda weird flashback. but of the future. Like I saw that Galakryzer slicing you down the middle like an 80s action movie, Ayame. Maaaybe if I had a sword with a blue energy blade and stat changing symbols on the hilt, we would get more answers." Neptune grinned, pointing upwards.

"I can't believe I was almost snuck up on like that. Well, I thank you, Neptune but I don't think such a sword exists." Ayame sweatdropped, her tone shifting up a little, "speaking of which, you still owe me 55000 Yen for that broken sword, Neptune."

"Aw, but we're buddies now. And I used it to save your life. Can't ya just let it slide and... forget about it? Besides, I don't have any money. Least not the kind you use." Neptune whined.

"Well then, you'll just have to work your way back in my shop to pay off your debt then." Ayame winked.

"Nep-What?! You're… you're making me work?!" Neptune gulped.

"Yes, she said work, nyu. Is it really that foreign of a concept to you, nyu?" Broccoli said, giving Nep her usual flat face.

"Oh, I wouldn't dare to 'make you' at all, Neptune. We're friends now. A real friend would work to pay off their debt, no strings attached. Am I right?" Ayame giggled.

Neptune gave a grumbling pout as Tekken merely smiled, enjoying the company.

* * *

The sun was going down on the forest a couple of miles outside Hebijo. As Rin prepared to head out, her attention was caught by the glimpse of a gem which reflected the setting sun off in a glimmer. Approaching the object, Rin leaned down, seeing a strange set of rusty-looking, intersecting circles which formed into the shape of a sphere with dark gems at each intersecting spot.

A sudden flash of an unfamiliar world, four different kingdoms of purple, black, white, and green flashed before Rin's very eyes. Jerking her hand back, she squinted, staring closer at the object. "A little bit of energy…" Slowly she reached her hand back down towards the circular set of rusty-looking rings, the gems on each end of them, completely black and lifeless. The closer her hand drew, the more it shook, hesitating as though not wanting to touch the object again, but through the force of her arm, touched it once more.

Picking up the sphere, Rin's eyes reflected moonlight, analyzing it for a while. _Whatever I saw just a moment ago… whatever this was… it's power is dying. I'll bring it back to Hebijo. Could provide some answers. _Sensing someone's presence, Rin quickly turned to see someone approaching from the bushes. A woman in a black, gothic-like dress walked up wearing what appeared to be a witch's hat.

Walking forward casually, the stranger engaged conversation, "Lovely evening, isn't it?" Rin gave her a casual response in agreement before holding the unusual sphere behind her back. Asking if she was lost, the woman replied, "Oh not hardly, though this forest looks all the damn same when you've lost something of your own."

_Her timing is too suspicious. And I sense much power from her. _"What did you lose, if I may?" Rin glanced the woman a suspicious set of eyes.

"I've been searching for my medallion for hours now. It's an important family heirloom to me, and I can't believe I dropped it."

"Well I hope you find it out here. Good luck." Rin began backing up when the woman walked closer, Rin now barely making out a lavender-purple skin tone and a thorny necklace adorning her collarbone.

"Wait, miss. You seem to be a… very resourceful woman. You haven't seen anything… have you?" the woman's words began to slow as she started circling Rin in careful, nonchalant steps. Rin making sure to not turn her back as her eyes locked into the stranger's red eyes. _She's onto me. _

"No. I'm afraid I haven't seen anything of the sorts except for this rusty old sphere." Rin said, shrugging and showing the sphere in her hand.

"Ah, I can't thank you enough miss. You found my medallion."

"Awfully large for a medallion, isn't it?" Rin asked, slightly raising her eyebrows.

"It's a cultural thing. Again, I cannot thank you enough. Now if you were to be so kind, I will take back my medallion, please." The mysterious woman held out her hand, but Rin only felt her grip around the object tightening more hearing the woman's tone.

"And what proof have you that this is yours? For an important family heirloom that you recently lost, it seems to be quite battered and old, wouldn't you say?" Rin asked, seeing how the woman would react.

The woman's eye twitched of irritation for just a second, before she smiled. "Are you truly implying that because the object is different than what you're used to that I am lying? Unless of course your skepticism is simply not wanting to feel cheated out of things. You want something in return for finding it. What do you want? Money? Name your price for the Sphere."

"I thought you called it a Medallion. Now it's a sphere, is it? Tell me, what happens if I refuse to give it to you?" Rin asked, hearing a frustrated grunt from the other party.

"Where I am from, we call that theft." The woman's voice trembled, irritation oozing with her next words, "And you don't want to know what I do with thieves! Now perhaps I didn't make myself clear. As the rightful owner of the object in question, I demand that you hand it over!"

"I merely asked what would happen IF I didn't hand it over. But now that I have my answer, I don't think I'll be giving you anything." Rin began walking away. Suddenly the woman appeared in front of her in a black cloud.

"Last chance, girl. I'm not going to ask again! Hand over the sphere before I pry it from your cold, dead hands!" the woman flared up, a black aura resonating from her as she gripped a large, white lance with hooked blades for the tip.

"So, your true nature reveals itself. Very well, miss." Rin took a few steps back, gripping her Fuuma Shurikens from the sides. "But I should warn you. Do not judge the flower bud until it is in full bloom. Now, shall we begin?"

* * *

Falcom yelled as she fell from the sky into a pond. Flailing wildly, adrenaline rushed through her body. Eyes tightly shut, she swam fiercely to the top, if you could call her flailed attempts at swimming actually swimming. "Help, not again! I don't wanna drown!"

"Um… Falcom." Came a familiar voice. Opening her eyes, Falcom looked up to see Cyberconnect2 staring down at her, "You're sitting in like 4 feet/2.1 meters of water."

"OH! Ah… Cybercon." Falcom began laughing nervously, scratching the back of her head as she realized she had psyched herself out in a small pond. Holding out her hand, Cybercon pulled her friend up and out. "Thanks, Cyber. I was losing it for a moment."

"Tell me about it." Cybercon let out a small sigh. Both girls looked around as they stood upon a large hill, seeing swathes of forest and trees below them. "Where are we, Falcom?"

"I-I don't know, why ya askin' me? What about you?"

"You're supposed to be the world-famous adventurer here! And you know my sense of direction is terrible! I don't even remember where Fukoka is."

Falcom placed a hand above her eyes, shielding it from the sun as she looked out beyond the horizon to see a city in the distance. "Looks like uncharted territory. And if our enemies had something to do with this, then we better get moving quickly." Falcom went back towards the pond, grabbing the case with her sword, Dragon Slayer.

Just then they heard a feminine yell. Looking back, they saw Nepgear hanging upside down from a tree by a vine around her ankle. "Whoa! Nepgear? Where'd you come from? If I had a bucket I would have caught you." Cybercon said with a wide-open grin.

"Hey! Why a bucket?!" Nepgear sweatdropped.

Cybercon scratched her chin before pointing, "Well… cause you're like a falling fruit."

"What?! I will not be put in a bucket!... and… could you please cut me down. This vine is starting to hurt my ankle and I can't transform for some reason." Nepgear gritted her teeth, painfully. Cybercon nodded, quickly summoning her dagger and Nepgear landed on her head as the vine was sliced. "Ouchie." Nepgear pulled herself up, dusting off her dress as Cybercon and Falcom helped her up.

"Have fun hangin' up there, Gear?" Falcom asked.

Nepgear sweatdropped, "Oh come on. I don't even know why I ended up there in the first place. The last thing I remember… fighting those monsters. I was almost overpowered by this one dragon knight and then… a light. A blinding light."

"The same for both of us after we went after the enemy." Cybercon added, "In the middle of battle and suddenly, a blinding light and then boom! Here we are! In a vast, endless forest. But why can't you transform, Gear?"

"I… I don't know. My only guess is that we're in another world… lost in another world." Nepgear voice dropped a tone.

"Not entirely! There's a city all the way over there! Cyber's just got no sense of direction." Falcom chuckled to which CC2 gave a nervous giggle.

"But it… looks so far away. Will we make it before dark?"

"Oh, Nepgear. No need for all the downer kind of attitude. Ya gotta think more confidently." Falcom smiled.

"You're right… more confidently… like my sister." Suddenly a spontaneous lightbulb dinged above Nepgear's head, to which Cybercon wondered if lightbulbs were supposed to go 'ding' or not. "Hold up just one moment! I've got this!"

Cybercon and Falcom tilted their heads in confusion as Nepgear turned around, seemingly messing with her face. Suddenly her voice shifted to a stranger tone. "So here is my assessment." Falcom and Cybercon screamed as Nepgear's face revealed oval-shaped, white pupil eyes and a rectangular mouth. "I have reached beyond the fourth wall that my sister so casually destroys to discover that because we are in some type of crossover fanfiction we are in Japan and thus the residents speak Japanese, so the best thing we can do is speak Japanese to them."

"Um… Don't we already speak Japanese in our core games?" Falcom whispered, looking around nervously.

With her Gya face still on, Nepgear pointed a finger upward. "Indeed we do, dear Falcom, but since we are being written into a fanfiction by an English speaking fan, this is where we're at. Theoretically since we come from a different world we shouldn't even be able to speak English, let alone Japanese."

"Um… so then… what do we do?" Cybercon awkwardly asked. Nepgear put her arms around Falcom and Cyber's shoulders as the twangy sound of a shamisen could be heard playing.

"We'll need to find ways to communicate with the locals. Just follow my lead and we'll be good to go!" Keeping her gya face on, Nepgear began skipping down the hill along with Falcom and Cybercon as she began to sing a very strange but catchy song. "_Ohayō Kyoto Konichiwa__, __Sumimasen I'm foreigner__, __I don't speak Japanese__, __but I love Aori Sora. When you say Wakarimashita__, __I say Hitachi Toyota__. __Kawasaki Nintendo__, __Canon Sony Honda__! __I'm losing my way__, __Obāsan where should I go?__Ukyo so big__, __I need a Doraemon.__You speak Japanglish__, __And show me body language__. __What can I do?__Where should I go?_ Falcom! Cyber! Sing with me!"

The three of them sang in unison, skipping simultaneously down the hill. "_Makudonarudo__, __Guguru Toiletto,__Kitto Katto__, __Dizunilando__… __Takushi go Hoteru__, __Sebun Elebun Miruku__, __Basu, Biru__, __Sutābakkusu!_"

"See, you're doing it guys! Look, saying that we did it and not actually showing how we did it works every time! We're halfway to the town already!" Nepgear said enthusiastically.

"Um, Nepgear? Doesn't it hurt your face to keep that up?" Cybercon asked.

Nepgear ignored her, consistently keeping her Gya face. "Ooh, next verse coming up! Falcom, Me, and Cyber in that order! GO!"

"Uuuh, _Ohayō Kyoto Konichiwa__, __Sumimasen I'm foreigner. I don't speak Japanese__, __but I love Ramen Tempura!_ _When you say Sugoi Arigatō, I say Naoko Mizuno. Uniqlo, Toshiba__… __Casio Gojira!_"

"_I'm losing my way__. __Obāsan where should I go?__Ukyo so big__, __I need a Doraemon.__You speak Japanglish__, __And show me body language…_"

"_What can I do?__Where should I gooo?__Please take me hoooome._"

"Now everyone together!" Nepgear shouted.

"_Makudonarudo__, __Guguru Toiletto,__Kitto Katto__, __Dizunilando__… __Takushi go Hoteru__, __Sebun Elebun Miruku__, __Basu, Biru__, __Sutābakkusu!_" Sure enough, they kept singing until they reached the city of Kyoto, which defied all logic, which Falcom was worried at how immersion breaking it was.

But Nepgear took no notice. "Who cares? It got us here. Now let's ask around!"

"For what?" Said Falcom.

"FOOD!" Cybercon said, going around to the locals, "_Sarada? Hanbāgā?__Sandoitchi? Sōsēji?... Kohi, Kēki__, __Aisukurimu, Konbini?__Furaido potato?__Esukarētā, Arukoru?__Bareboru Besuboru__Basukettoboru Gorufu?_"

"I'm pretty sure some of those aren't food!" Falcom sweatdropped.

"Mada mada, I mean not done yet. Let's finish strong, ladies!" Nepgear said in full Gya.

The three of them went around Kyoto, singing the chorus in unison before taking word by word turns with the final verse. "_Makudonarudo__, __Guguru Toiletto,__Kitto Katto__, __Dizunilando__… __Takushi go Hoteru__, __Sebun Elebun Miruku__, __Basu, Biru__, __Sutābakkusu!_ _Sarada. Hanbāgā.__Sandoitchi. Sōsēji. Kohi, Kēki__, __Aisukurimu, Konbini.__Furaido potato.__Esukarētā, Arukoru.__Bareboru, Besuboru,__Basukettoboru, Gorufu!_"

Finally, Nepgear fell down out of breath, her face going back to normal. "Ow… my throat's all dry. What just happened anyways?"

"How should I know? We sang the day away… I think." Falcom replied.

"Still no food and my legs are killing me." Cybercon sighed, dropping on her knees.

"Come on, ladies! Is that really all you can take? I mean, yeah we defied a 5 hour walk in 5 minutes but where's your stamina?" Falcom placed her hands on her hips looking down at Nepgear and Cybercon.

"Come on, Falcom! We don't adventure all over the place like you do!" Nepgear whined. Falcom shook her head, when out of the corner of her eye, she caught someone running. A girl with short green hair and an orange jacket covering her black sweater. In her arms a small girl, with a white dress and red flowers adorning her hair, locked eyes with Falcom for just a moment as they ran past. Falcom soon saw a few monsters from their world pursuing the girls.

"Alright! Get your weapons ready, ladies! We got people needing saving!" Falcom pointed her sword as Nepgear and Cybercon groaned to get up.

"Guess our food'll have to wait." Cybercon moaned, "Just what did you see that was so important, Falcom?"

"Monsters… from our world. they were after a couple of girls." Falcom responded.

"From our world? Here? And now?" Nepgear's mind flashed back to the previous battle. "That light… whatever it was it must of transported us! And the monsters as well! We cannot let those creatures hurt any innocent people!"

"That's the spirit, Gear!" Falcom cheered, "Let's go, Cyber!"

"Tell that to my stomach." Cybercon groaned.


	19. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Insecurity Convention

"Woohoo! J-Pop Con!" Ram jumped up and down for excitement as they walked towards the doors of a large convention building. Vert and Lyrica, known more by her stage name 5pb, followed her through the doors where a huge, lit up hanger shone its bright lights down on crowds of people, who gathered around stands, wearing extravagant costumes and shouting out strange phrases while making poses.

"Lady Vert, are you sure we should be doing this? And miss Ram, aren't you worried about your sister?" 5pb asked.

"Now now, Lyrica. After a battle like that, everyone needs a break every now and again. Besides, I've never seen this convention in Leanbox before. So we have to check it out. And don't worry, we'll catch up with Rom afterwards, right Ram?" Vert said looking over.

"Mhm! That's right! She's a big girl! Besides, I'm sure she's with Blanc or the others and I wanna check this place out!" Ram grinned, running over to a stand that had various shirts of musclemen screaming as they powered up.

"But-but-but, Lady Vert! I've been all over Leanbox with my music tours and I've never seen this place before. If there's a convention I would have heard of it and I've never heard of J-Pop Con! I don't even know what J-Pop means." 5pb stuttered.

"Well, what better way to find out than to investigate it?" Vert smiled with folded hands. "I want to find out where some of these interesting costumes come from. Maybe I will also find some new and exciting games too."

"E-e-HEY! What about the battle! Don't you remember the blinding light?" 5bp held out her hand.

"Duh. The blinding light means we won, obviously! Don't be such a stiff, Lyrica! Come on, let's go Vert! I wanna check out this one!" Ram grabbed Vert by the hand, running off in the direction of a group of cosplayers.

"Lady Vert! Miss Ram! I-…" a relinquishing sigh left 5pb's mouth as the two ran off, _But I… know it's not Leanbox. At least… I think it's not Leanbox. Wait, it can't be! The people of Leanbox would recognize me! And outside of a few oddballs calling me a vocaloid, whatever that is, nobody has so much even approached me! This is serious! Even if she is the CPU, I can't just let Lady Vert walk all over me!_

5pb walked up to Vert and Ram who were taking selfies with the locals, one man dressed as a bald superhero in a yellow suit and a woman dressed as a blonde knight with a blue dress underneath. _They shouldn't be messing around like this! I'm gonna walk right up to them and say "Lady VERT!"_, "E-erm… L-lady Vert… Would you please not… be taking pictures with these… cosplayers… we have m-more important things to be… erm…" _Oh no. This is coming out all wrong! Wait. Are they staring at me?! _5pb took a step back as several of the cosplayers began looking her way.

"You've a cute outfit!" one girl said.

"You cosplaying as a new vocaloid?" another guy commented.

"Now don't be so shy, Lyrica. Come and snap some photos with us why don't you?" Vert said. 5pb's eyes formed diagonal lines in them as held her fingers to her mouth and began to sweat and stutter.

"Don't be such a scaredy-cat! It'll be fun!" Ram grabbed 5pb by the wrist, dragging her over to take pictures, which caused her heart to pulsate. _NOOO! I'm still a wreck! I was supposed to stand up to them. My goddess, I hate myself! _

5pb caught her breath once Ram and Vert said goodbye to the cosplayers. "What do you say we check out the doujinshi section next, Ram?" Vert suggested.

"Nuh uh! I wanna go over here!" Ram pointed towards a series of food stands.

"Well I suppose we can grab a bite to eat. What do you say, 5pb?" Vert grinned.

"NO!" 5pb shouted, causing Ram and Vert to look on with inquisitive surprise. "I-i-I mean… I think we should… ya know… watch our… spending." 5pb looked down in embarrassment when her stomach growled.

"Oh come on, Lyrica! Learn to have a little fun! The smell of it all is antagonizing my stomach! Let's go!" Ram said, proceeding to drag 5pb along with a smiling Vert. Discovering they had to obtain passes, Vert and the others soon ran into another problem as they arrived at the desk.

"What do you mean invalid? I don't know what this Yen stuff is, but these are authentic Gamindustri credits!" Vert complained. The teen boy who was handing out passes explained that they only took yen. Vert smirked, sitting on the side of the table, revealing her long, slender legs. At this, 5pb made Ram cover her eyes. "Now, now. I am sure there's something else a good-looking young man like yourself could want. I think you know what I'm talking about." Vert giggled, swaying her dangling melons from side to side as her face moved closer to the now blushing boy, who slowly reached his hand forward, but Vert pulled back.

"Uh uh uh. 3 passes please." Vert smiled sweetly at the boy who looked around before he silently slid her 3 J-Pop Con passes. "Aww, what a good little boy." Vert suddenly hugged the boy, planting a small peck on his head as she squeezed him into her chest. After letting go, the beat red boy fell backwards, though 5pb could not tell whether it was from lack of air or being enveloped by Vert's bosom.

"Now then, let us get something to eat." Vert smiled.

"Oooh! Lyrica wouldn't let me see it! So how'd you do it, Vert?" Ram demanded.

"Er… Um… Trade secret, Ram. You'll understand one day." Vert replied much to her dismay. "I was going to transform for him, but something was preventing me from doing so."

"What did I tell you? Something isn't right, Lady Vert!" 5pb exclaimed.

After Ram attempted and realized she couldn't transform either, Vert made a conclusion. "Either this world is another dimension or… SHE is trying to rewrite history again! Yes, I shall blame Kurome Ankokuboshi and leave it at that."

"What!? But Lady Vert! What if we're in another dim-…" Vert then shushed 5pb.

"Come now. Whatever it is, this convention is not going to be here forever. So let us enjoy ourselves while it lasts. Who knows when we'll be able to experience something like this again? I want to get some things to remember it by." Vert grinned, to which Ram agreed. 5pb sighed. _This is going to be one hell of a day._

As Vert and Ram went around happily indulging themselves in convention activities, 5pb drained herself thinking of ways to try and put her foot down with the stubborn, carefree goddess, only for each and every approach to turn her back into the awkward, self-doubting mouse that she always was and always had been. A vicious cycle which only further grated upon her lack of confidence, tiring her even more.

Eventually they found a line leading to a concert. "Ooh! Lyrica, I mean 5pb! You should perform there!" Ram pointed enthusiastically. 5pb looked on silently, heading over casually with Vert and Ram, who tried to convince the security guard that 5pb was on the list.

"Sorry miss. Ya can't get back here without a backstage pass."

"I assure you this is no cosplayer. Her voice is that of an angel! Do you not recognize the Siren of Leanbox?" Vert argued. "Well, I suppose, with Kurome rewriting stuff again that would explain why nobody recognized her. 5pb, why don't you show him your voice."

"It doesn't matter if she sings like Kyrary Pamyu Pamyu. If you don't have a backstage pass, I cannot grant access." The guard replied.

Suddenly a man in a suit walked up, "Finally! Where were ya? I've been on pins and needles cause we're starting in about 45 minutes and your part is the 3rd act!" Vert looked puzzled before the man shook her hand, continuing. "Kazuki Shirohito, I presume? Talked to ya over the phone about a replacement singer for today."

"Ah, yes." Vert smiled, "Finally someone realizes who we are. You wanted a replacement singer and here she is. 5pb?"

5pb nervously stared off into space, lost in her own world. _I… I really shouldn't… but… maybe some singing will calm my nerves. Why? Why can't I be more confident like I am on stage? _

"Hey, you!" 5pb gasped at the sudden voice of the suited man, who broke her from her thoughts. "5pb, yes? Agent Kurosawa with Article 3 Records. Great to meet ya, if you would please come backstage. I am sorry for the rush, but we are in a hurry."

"U-u-u-u-u-u-uh… S-s-sure!" 5pb's eyes popped as she followed the man back. _What am I doing? I'm supposed to be… *sigh*_.

* * *

Hundreds, maybe thousands swarm past me as I squeeze my way through the crowds. This is society's hive, their chatter like buzzing in my ears. The nerves in my arms quivering, I grip big sis with my left arm just as tight as I grip Bebetan in my right. If I let go of either of them, I don't know if I'll be able to hold back. And that… that is the last thing I want to happen. I like watching conventions, but going to them is another story. Someone bumps me, my skin curling up as I lean in closer to sis, squeezing her arm tighter. This is horrible. Even a room full of underclass Hebijo students I don't know cause me less anxiety.

"Ack! What do you think you're doing, Murasaki?" Sis gives me those eyes again. I can never tell if she's concerned or annoyed at me. Maybe both. _I hate being a burden to her. I hate being like this. Why did we have to come here where so many filthy, stupid humans are clustered in this sweaty, sticky beehive of a convention?_

"Why are we here, sis? You know the reason I don't go outside." She looks over with a smile, telling me we're on a mission. My nerves start to calm down. Focusing on a shinobi mission is like watching a movie for me, so it's a good distraction.

"Our mission is to spend time together as sisters and strengthen your tolerance for outside." Immediately her words make my skin crawl, but not as much as it should. I sniff the air, Big Sis reeks of suspicion. They say you can tell if a person is lying by how they react to eye contact. Still gripping her arm, I tilt my head, looking at her through squinting eyes. Just for a second her eyes make contact with me before her hand ruffles my hair. "Hey now. Don't give your sister that look, Saki. And don't be so tense either. You were doing great before."

"B-but Sis… I… I don't think I'm ready. There's… so many people. Bebetan doesn't wanna be here either." I notice Sis buys tickets for something, but I don't pay attention, flexing my voice, shaking Bebetan up and down. "Yeah, let the dipshit go back to her room! She's only gonna make the place stink anyhow."

"Bebetan can enjoy himself too." I hear Sis sigh. _Damn it, Sis, you know exactly why we can't be here. Why I can't be here. This Root of Calamity… will always curse me. Yeah, I've learned to control it better, but I can never truly be free. I just want hair that doesn't mangle a normal hairbrush, forcing me to use some painful metal one. Hair that I don't have to tie every night for fear of it choking me to death in my sleep. Don't you know why I'm a shut-in? You should know, Imu! You should know after what happened all those years ago! This power is why I can't interact with normal people… all I can do is hurt them! So why… why must you make me do this?! _Gazing at the ground the whole time, tears begin rushing to my eyes.

Suddenly, a hand lifts my chin as Big Sis turns and faces me. "Come now. Dry those eyes." My surprised eyes meet her tender, green ones which radiate warmly. "You're doing just fine, Murasaki."

I hide my face in her chest, sobbing softly so that nobody else hears me. "I'm afraid, Sis. I don't wanna hurt people."

"Don't worry. You know our backup plan if we do, Murasaki. I'll just Kekkai us and knock you out if I have to. You're alright, little sister. I'm stronger now, remember?" I look up to see Sis giving me a warm smile; her embrace melting my insecurities away. "Now come on. Can't have a good time without a little food, hm?"

I nod; a smile of my own forming on my lips as I wipe the tears. As long as I have Sis and Bebetan, I can do this. Sis guides me over to a food stand, where I attempt to take my order looking the server in the eyes. A cold sweat looming over me, I make eye contact with her for about 30 seconds, ordering a juicy looking Garlic Yakitori before my head drops to the ground. Sis places a hand on my shoulder, making me feel a little bit better. But my heart rate still trembles from such an ordeal. _To think talking to strangers is so terrifying… I truly envy my sister. And not just her, but everyone else. Still, I guess if she says I'm doing good, then… I'll trust her._

We find a table for two and I let Bebetan sit on the table. I focus in real hard on my sister, Bebetan, and the food we're eating, blocking out any and all crowds as I imagine we're simply back at Hebijo… no, back home, years ago when the two of us shared the same room.

Imu always had a little white dog, which wore a Ramen bowl on it's head, named Wantan. We would always stay up late at night, playing the adventures of Bebetan and Wantan, muffling our giggles in the blankets so as not to wake our parents only to wake the next morning and get scolded for how sleepy we were. My hand goes over to Big sis and touches hers as I giggle, taking a bite of my Yakitori. She returns my smile and I wish things could return to the way they were.

We finish up and Sis says it's time for some fun things. But that doesn't stop me from gripping her arm like a child as we shop and play local games. Finally, we stop and I feel Sis yanking her arm away. "Come on, Murasaki. Surely you don't need to follow me to the restroom."

I begin to stutter as if choking on my own words. "But-but-but. What do I… where do I…" As if reading my mind, Sis hands me the tickets and tells me to just stay put on the bench over on the other side and wait for her and that I'll be fine.

But the moment she's out of sight, I'm not fine. Walking a mere 10 Feet/3 Meters feels like a mile. Trying my best not bump into anyone is an impossible task as I apologize to every stranger that passes by without making eye contact… especially when I've been walking for a while with these ugly K-Cups. _Maybe I should have invested in a steel bra._ Hunched over in pain, I look like I have to go to the bathroom myself as I hold under my chest, Bebetan hanging out of my right arm, the tickets in my left hand. _Maybe I should go to the restroom too. Yeah, at least a stall is better than nothing._

As I start to turn, someone else bumps me. I apologize to him, my eyes widening as I make eye contact with this slightly chunky young man with brown hair and a matching beard. He apologizes back and hurries in the other direction. I gasp, noticing the tickets are no longer in my hand. I panic, looking around all over, asking Bebetan where the tickets had gone. "where do you think? That bastard stole them!" he says. _Of course!_

"Stop!" I call out, hurrying after the man, who looks back briefly, speeding up his pace. Now I'm sure it was him. Still holding my chest, I pursue the thief, trying my best not to hit anyone. I spy two tickets hanging from his pocket and Bebetan scolds me for not realizing it sooner.

I keep after him, chasing him down stairs and through narrow hallways. _Filthy thieves… why can't they just buy things instead of stealing all the time! I hate them! How dare he try to ruin my time with Big Sis. But what will I do when I catch up to him? The thoughts both anger and scare me… I don't want any trouble, but I'd also love nothing more than to see his intestines decorating the ground. No! What am I thinking? I just need to get the tickets back!_

A few moments later and the thief stumbles, dropping the tickets as he gets back up and continues to flee. I resist the urge to go after him, picking the tickets up. "Now go after that scum!" Bebetan says, "No. We got the tickets, so let's get back to Sis." I reply in my usual voice. "You don't even know where you are, idiot. Now you're lost!" Bebetan replies, to which I gasp, realizing he's right.

The tickets start to scrunch in my hand as I look around, anxiously. Unfamiliar stalls and event booths line the area, and people… swarms and swarms of people as far as the eye can see. I hunch myself over, as if it will do anything. I don't know anyone, Sis is out of sight, my breath begins to slow. _Oh god, Sis. Where are you sis? I don't know if I can hold it anymore. I hate all of this! I hate these crowds; I hate these people. But I hate myself most of all. Imu. Dear Imu, where are you? _My blood pressure chills as I feel my hair locks beginning to move with a purple aura around them, trying my best to control myself.

Suddenly I bump into someone. "I'm sorry!" I quickly reply. I then notice her costume. Identical to my Valkyrie on 4 Goddesses Online. _A cosplayer? She's good. _I gaze upon her further. Her long, blonde hair braided around the back, with blue eyes are almost perfect. And the green dress she wears, while not the default, was a special crossover event costume that you could only get for a week. And her body type… about 5'04 (163 cm), probably an F Cup… _she's more than just a cosplayer! She's the spitting image of the Valk class! _I stare at her intensly, muttering the name of my 4GO account, "GreenHeart4…"

"Hm? Did… you just say… Green Heart?" she looks down at me in surprise. _Good Heavens! She even sounds like her too! _I begin to even wonder where I am, doubting whether or not Sis and I came to the J-Pop Convention in the first place. And here, standing before me is either the greatest cosplayer of all time or an alternate reality come true. I am at a loss for words.


	20. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 19

Chapter 19: A Fated Meeting

**1 DAY EARLIER**

Imu gulped, her entire body shivering in tension as she approached Miyabi's room. Miyabi's words of earlier, would have probably been met with a simple 'okay' from any of the other shinobi, but for Imu, the words "Come to my room later. I have something private to discuss." Made her blow up like a red balloon, ready to fly awayon blissful winds.

One hand shaking, she gripped the handle to Miyabi's door, slowly opening it to find Miyabi at the other end of her room, gripping her sword's hilt. "Imu. You forgot the secret Hebijo knock. Are you alright?" Miyabi said, letting go of her sword.

"Mm! Y-yes! I am fine… Miyabi." Imu cleared her throat, placing her arm behind her back where she quietly held a single flower, her shoulders subtly swaying. "So… you wanted to see me, Miyabi? A-about what?"

"Imu." Imu slightly bit her lip as Miyabi walked closer. "I need you to keep what I'm about to tell you to absolute secrecy. Do not say anything to the others until I say otherwise."

"O-o-of course, Miyabi. A-anything for you." Imu's cheeks started to flush, an open mouth smile forming on her lips.

"I want you to take Murasaki out to J-Pop Con and bond together as sisters." The moment the words left Miyabi's mouth, something inside Imu cracked as a small 'eep' leaked from her.

"Y-y-you can't be serious, Miyabi? Surely that's not all you have to say?"

"Of course, not…" Imu looked at Miyabi intently waiting "This is also a shinobi mission! And as my 2nd-in-command I am fully trusting you with it."

"A-a-and… where will… you be, Miyabi?" Imu asked.

"I will remain here at Hebijo. With all that's going on, someone has to keep an eye on the school." Imu's mouth gaped, a brief jolt zapped through her body, sizzling her hair and crisping the flower, black. _She's… not even coming… with me? _"No need to look so shocked, Imu." Miyabi continued. "Anyways, intelligence has gathered that Dancer's Fan Academy and Light Cherry Blossom Academy have declared a Shinobi Battle Royale on each other. But it seems that neither of them truly were the instigator."

Imu snapped out of her shocked state for a moment. "Then… who started it?"

"Intelligence reports that there was some kind of hacker involved. Fools, the lot of them; relying so much on modern technology." Miyabi scoffed.

"Why would someone go to so much trouble to get 2 schools turned on each other?"

"Clearly, they're someone who wants to see shinobi eliminated. Our spies have gotten a lock on the hacker's location, which is somewhere in J-Pop Con. Why they'd hide at a nerd convention is beyond me. But it's perfect for helping out your sister." Imu tilted her head, asking what Miyabi meant. "Murasaki is growing as both a shinobi and as a person. Taking her out to J-Pop Con will get her more used to being out and around people, especially if it's something she likes. But she won't grow if you tell her it's a shinobi mission. It has to feel natural."

"I… I don't know that's a good idea, Miyabi. I mean, I'd feel better if you came along… F-for the reason that the mission sounds… uh, dangerous!" Imu replied.

"Don't you wanna see her grow, Imu? To see your sister become stronger not just as a shinobi? But also as family?"

"I-… of course, I do. Iii just… didn't know she was into that sorta thing. And… You know how she gets around people."

"She's been getting better. I wanna help by giving her a little push to the next step." Miyabi replied before looking over at the blackened flower in Imu's hand, grabbing it. "Oh, Imu. Here, let me throw that away for you. Always keep Hebijo clean, eh?" Imu's face went white, something shattering inside as Miyabi tossed it in her trash can. Miyabi then asked if she was alright, to which Imu gave a weak nod and an 'uh-huh.'

* * *

**PRESENT DAY**

Imu sighed, closing the bathroom stall, before pulling out an electronic device. _Who are you kidding, Imu? You're being a horrible sister. "You're supposed to be doing this for Murasaki, and you think you're doing it for Miyabi. But truth be told, you're only doing it for yourself." I… I am not! _Imu looked around the bathroom stall, a chill ran from up her feet, buzzing up her body and into her cheeks, unsure of whether her thoughts were her own as they came in the form of a disturbingly soothing tone. _"Why are you in such denial? You want Miyabi to see you as more than just a friend, Imu. So you think that continuously doing her bidding will make her see you differently. You don't care about your sister whatsoever." _

Imu's head dropped, eyes to the floor as if to look away from a cold someone that was not visibly there. _"In your heart, you know it to be true, Imu. Your ambition is merely disguised as selflessness. Try to please them both, and you'll only let everyone down." I… I let my infatuation for Miyabi get the better of me. I'm sorry, Murasaki. "Indeed. But which one will you choose? Your best friend and superior, or your loving little sister?" _

Imu's hand ran softly against the cold electronic device, closing her eyes sadly. Suddenly a sense of resolve began to swell inside, her heart lifting. _I choose Hebijo! For they… no. We are all Hebijo! Therefore, I will not let anyone down! "So now you disguise your selfishness as bravado. Listen to yourself. You think you can fulfill everyone's desires, including your own. But you will only regret this." No! I know I can do it! I am Imu of Hebijo!_

Imu shook her head with a grunt, focusing on the electronic device in her hand. _Let's see. So I input the hacker's coordinates the spy gave me into this system. _The small screen on the tracking device showed a colored bar, ranging from grey to blue to green to yellow to red, indicating strength. As Imu stuck the coordinates in, the bar instantly raised to red, flashing as it made a faint beeping sound. "No way!" Imu quickly switched to the device map. _But… that would mean the hacker is… _

In the stall beside her, she made out a mechanically feminine, but obviously male voice. "Some naughty goof trying to hack my system? Wait a second, either my sensors are broken or that would mean they're in-…" Imu leapt out of her cell door at the same time as the voice in the cell next to her. Summoning her staff, she took a whack at somebody in a large, pink mech outfit, knocking them to the ground. "Ow. Watch where ya swing that thing, sister. Might put an eye out." The man said.

"Don't move!" Imu glared, pointing her staff at him. "First of all, are you the hacker who caused Dancer's and Cherry Blossom to fight? Secondly, WHY THE HELL ARE YOU IN THE WOMEN'S BATHROOM!?"

"Well number one, yes. That hacking job was done by me. Pretty good, am I right? And I may have an X and Y chromosome in my pockets, but my heart has since mega evolved into that of a true maiden! I must say you're quite the little sleuth to have tracked me so suddenly and so sneakily. I didn't know I had fangirls." The man wagged his finger at her.

"H-hey! Don't take that tone with me! And I am NOT your fan!" Imu glared at him, her voice raising.

"Oh, but you remind me of a certain cutie I absolutely adore. I'm afraid I just can't help myself." Imu noticed a slight blush coming through his green visor as he put his hands on his face.

"Certain cutie? D-don't change the subject! Tell me who you are and what your objective is!" Imu regained her composure, raising her staff closer to him.

"My friends call me Anonydeath, but you can call me Anny, girlfriend." Imu growled at his response, but Anony continued, his tone growing more serious. "But I'm afraid telling you the information would be highly problematic for us both, see? These spikes protruding from my back are set to explode should I reveal any sensitive information. It processes them by certain key words being placed in a specific order, so I really need to watch what I say."

"So… a gender confused hacker with a terrorist complex. You're mad."

"Actually, sister, I gotta tell ya the terrible truth." Anonydeath slowly stood up, looking straight at Imu, who gripped her staff in a manner ready to swing at any moment. "I was just joking sweetie, your face was priceless!" Imu screamed, swinging her staff, but Anony grabbed it with one hand. "I can't believe you fell for that. I mean, I'm smart, but even I couldn't come up with something that advanced. But jol-ly, you're just as cute as my Noire."

"YOU BIG TROLL!" Imu yelled.

"Hehe. Thank you, hon. I'll take that as a compliment. Bye now! Nice meeting you!" Anonydeath flicked her staff, running out of the bathroom, but not before Imu regained control of her staff and shot a lightning bolt after him. "Ow! Right in the buttox!"

"I should have known. Even in Japan, no tech like that exists!" adjusting her glasses, Imu quickly took off after him.

* * *

Vert let out a long sigh, folding her arms. "I can't believe after that whole ordeal with 5pb that they still wouldn't let us in without passes! I'm supposed to be her manager after all. So why did they let her back there?"

"Didn't you see how desperate that man was? Like, it was written all over his face." Ram said. "But you're right! It's not fair. We should totally have been able to get in! RRGH! Stupid Kurome ruining everything! If we could transform the people would surely see who we are and then we could do whatever we want!"

Vert and Ram continued discussing possible options on how to get into the concert including sneaking in, knocking out the guards, or convincing passerbys to trade their currency for some Gamindustri credits. But ultimately the pair could not find an approach that was not problematic. "If only in this moment I were as youthful as you, Ram, since at least kids can get in with just a pass. Even though I would never truly trade my voluptuous figure any day." Vert mumbled the last sentence.

"Hm? What was that last part, Vert?" Ram asked.

"Oh, um. Nothing you need worry your little head about." Vert smiled.

"Aaw! No fair, Vert! You been keeping secrets from me all day." Ram folded her arms huffily, "As a fellow CPU, you have to tell me! Like, right now."

"Er… Ram. You might wanna wait until you're a bit older before you can call a lady like me 'fellow CPU' now." Vert smothered her slightly irked tone in a smile as she patted Ram's head.

"Come oooon! Why won't you tell me!?"

Vert continued with an eye-closing smile, walking nonchalantly, "Aha… well… ya see Ram, there are certain things a young lady just cannot say until she's of age." Ram tugged on Vert's sleeve, calling her name, trying to get her attention. "I'm not finished. It's rude to interrupt. Now, as I was saying. See there are certain-…"

"VERT! Watch ou-…" Ram winced as Vert collided with a stranger. "See? What'd I try to tell you?" Ram's lips curled up.

Vert looked upon the stranger, who quickly apologized. A girl with dark purple hair, she wore a long, fancy, gothic-looking black dress with a dark blue gem at the neck. Vert could not help but wonder if the giant blades in her hair were real or not when she noticed the girl eyeing her up and down. "GreenHeart4…" the girl muttered softly.

"Hm? Did… you just say… Green Heart?" Vert's eyes widened before they shut into a smile, "My, someone who recognizes me! Ram, we must be doing something right. The people are starting to remember us just like last time."

The girl gasped. "I-i… I'm sorry. You… you're… a good… cosplayer. I couldn't help but stare. I mean… not that I w-wanted to stare it's just…" She sighed, looking at an ugly blue bear in her hand, "Bebetan, this is all coming out wrong." "I told ya you shoulda just stayed at home, you lazy bitch!"

"Uuuhm. Weirdo alert." Ram took a step back after the girl flexed her voice, pretending to make the bear talk.

"Now now, Ram. Don't be rude." Vert then turned to the girl, "I'm glad to see someone who finally recognizes me. Although I am not exactly a cosplayer, but you're getting close, dear. I do enjoy a good cosplay con from time to time."

The girl tilted her head, "Hm? But… that's the exact costume of the Valk during the 4th month of the game's opening… and… i-if you're in cosplay… you're a cosplayer. Unless… Could you be… No no, Tarina Platteau has the voice but not the looks. But you look and sound just like her, who are you?" the girl gasped, looking away. "I'm sorry! It feels like I'm interrogating you, isn't it?"

"Aw. You are so precious, all shy like that. But no need to be scared. My name is Vert. it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. And you are?"

"N-n-nice… to meet you Vert. I am… Murasaki."

"Murasaki, huh? Such a gorgeous name. By the way, what game in particular did you say you were playing?"

Murasaki's eyes bulged for a moment, "You… seriously don't know? You couldn't possibly look like that and not play 4 Goddesses Online."

"AH! 4GO you say!?" Vert gasped. "And you say my dre-… er, this… costume was an event exclusive on the 4th month?" Murasaki stuttered a doubtful 'yes' towards Vert, who then turned to Ram. "Ram, we have to find a way to get her to remember! Clearly we are doing something right!"

"5pb's concert?" Ram shrugged.

"Wait. Yes, that's exactly it! We take her to see 5pb's concert. Then she'll have to remember! Then maybe more people will start remembering too!" Vert's eyes gleamed.

"But Vert, I don't feel any share energy restoring." Ram frowned.

"Now, Ram. These sorts of things tend to take time before we begin feeling any- AAAH!" Vert jumped as she felt Murasaki sniffing her up.

The latter gasped. "P-please don't shout. I was just… checking for… something. You don't seem like a bad person at all. In fact, you seem lonely."

"Ah! How rude on both fronts." Vert's eyes whitened in shock as a sad frown formed upon her face. Murasaki suddenly apologized, asking her to please not go when she tripped over her long dress and into Vert's arms. Catching her, Vert and Murasaki's eyes connected with a deep stare for just a moment. A slightly uncomfortable but mostly comfortable feeling of warmth followed as the marble hues of blue and purple irises stuck like magnets. After a bit Murasaki broke contact, resting her head against Vert's chest. Vert looked down, smiling as she began to comb Murasaki's hair, memories of Nepgear running through her mind, stepping down fond paths that caused Vert to remember the water dripping down Nepgear's back as she washed it, the warmth of Gearsy's head against her bosom after resting in the basilicom after a day of monster hunting, all the while wishing for a sister of her own.

Vert suddenly yelped in pain, pulling her hand back from accidentally brushing it against the blade of Murasaki's giant hairpin shuriken. "Ooh! S-sorry. Be careful… it's a… very detailed replica." Murasaki responded.

"I'm alright." Vert smiled down at Murasaki before noticing the tickets in her hand. "Murasaki, yes? How would you like to come with Ram and I to the concert? A very special friend of ours is playing today."

Murasaki got up, gripping her tickets more tightly in her hand. "Well uh… Ya see. I got separated from my sister. And I… I was supposed to go to the concert with her but I… I'm lost and I don't know… don't know where… she is." Murasaki's voice cracked as she squinted, trying to prevent the tears from escaping. "Sis told me to stay put… and I'm so bad in public that now I…" Murasaki turned away from the girls, covering her face.

Just then Murasaki felt her hand being grabbed, looking over to see Ram smiling, "Hey. it's gonna be okay, ya hear? My sister is missing too. Yeah, I wish she were here with us and I'm worried about her. But I know she's strong, just like me! So we'll find her and we'll find your sister too! So cheer up!"

"You will… help?" Murasaki asked.

"Of course, we will. Besides, Murasaki, this concert will be the perfect thing to put your nerves at ease and if we don't go soon, we're sure to miss our good friend's part." Vert replied. Murasaki objected at first, claiming her sister would get upset at using the tickets. "Oh don't worry. We will pay you and your sister back in full for the tickets."

"But Vert, didn't they deny our mone-MMPH!" Vert grinned putting a hand over Ram's mouth.

"Would you excuse us for just a moment, Murasaki?" Vert then pulled Ram around a corner. "Don't say that. You'll make our goals a lot harder."

"But Vert! I don't like lying to people!"

"Once we raise our shares here and people begin to remember us, then the alternate reality they are in will begin to lift. For all we know, this Murasaki might not even have a sister."

"I don't know, Vert. Maybe Lyrica was right. I saw the look on Murasaki's face! And I know the look of someone who's sibling has gone missing!"

"Vert." Murasaki was suddenly beside Vert's face, causing her to gasp. "Don't run away, please."

"We're just around the corner, you weirdo. Jeez, and I thought Rom was a kid." Ram folded her arms, staring intently at Murasaki, "Is there... something you're hiding?"

"Wha-no! Why would you think something like that?" Murasaki was taken aback.

"As soon as you popped up, I felt a sudden... darkness nearby."

Murasaki began to stutter, Vert then intervening. "Now, now Ram. Don't be mean. I'm sure Murasaki's costume and... rather sharp accessories just makes her seem edgy. But let us go on to the concert."

Murasaki smiled. "Well… I suppose if you pay us back, it's fine. And it… would be rude of me to make you miss your friend's part, so… I suppose we can go. As long as it's with you, Vert." Ram glanced Murasaki a suspicious look as they passed by, but followed along shortly after.

* * *

Using her tickets, the trio arrived at the concert, walking into a dark arena, lit up by fluorescent bulbs that rested on the sides and ceiling of the arena. Just in time for the curtains to open on 5pb, Murasaki looked up at the blue haired idol. "Is she your friend?" Murasaki asked, only to comment how she looked like a vocaloid after Vert's confirmation.

"I must find out what these vocaloids are that people keep mentioning." Vert smiled with a sweatdrop. A brief moment of silence had everyone in the audience staring at the Leanbox musician. 5pb took a long inhale before the familiar tune of Gracie Star flowed into Ram and Vert's ears.

"I-it's… so loud in here." Murasaki felt herself cringing up as her ears trembled. Just then, Vert put her arms around her.

"There, there. You're alright, Murasaki." Murasaki softly smiled before resting her head against Vert's chest, the warmth reminiscent of her earlier days with Imu. Adjusting to the loud noise, Murasaki found herself getting lost in the melody of 5pb's song. _She really is the Valkyrie. Mmm. I don't care if I'm dreaming. I don't wanna wake up from this. Don't… wanna… wake… _Suddenly a spark. Murasaki felt the looming dread began to return within her, her heartbeat slowing as darkness engulfed the arena. The stopping of the music and reaction of the crowds like a boiling kettle, steaming and ready to explode. "Vert… Imu… Sister… where are you?"


	21. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Feelings of Resonation

Anonydeath pushed his way through crowds, his feet carrying as quickly as possible, looking back to see the very agile Imu zigzagging in between people without even so much as bumping them. "She's certainly a persistent one." Running by an ornaments and souvenir stand, Anonydeath flipped the table, spilling pillows, action figures, glass cups and more before taking off. Imu extended her staff out, pole vaulting over the mess before landing on her feet, continuing the pursuit.

Anonydeath kept tossing and trashing things to halt Imu's advance. boiling food trays, large wooden barrels and even a shelf full of large plushies, which he brought down in a local store much to the owner's anger, all went flying Imu's direction. Forced to get creative, Imu displayed her athleticism by sliding, leaping, and parrying with her staff. At one point, she ran around a corner only to get slammed by a wide, flat-screen TV that Anony had broken out of a nearby window. "Raugh!" still feeling the sting, Imu pushed the TV off of her, adjusting her glasses before dashing after Anonydeath again.

"How did that not slow her down?! My goodness, I do not get as much exercise as my figure implies." Anony huffed, continuing jogging hard before reaching a three-way path. Imu, a bit of ways behind, turned the corner just in time to see Anony talking to a couple of security guards, pointing in her direction.

"Dammit!" Imu quickly pulled her shirt cloth over her mouth as the security guards approached. Ignoring their commands to halt, Imu quickly slid in between them, one of them grabbing her arm. A quick elbow to the chest and Imu was free, once again following after the armored hacker.

Chaos ensued, as Imu now began to evade local security, trying her best not to engage them while also pursuing Anonydeath. At one point, a guard nearly tazed her but Imu's quick reflexes only turned the guard's weapon against him. _Damn guards! I almost caught that bastard too! _Quickly sliding down an escalator railing, she watched as Anony ran into a large open hanger with a floor sign beside that said 'Mecha Meetup at J-Pop Con'.

Turning the corner, Imu quickly found that the hanger was full of mech suit cosplayers. "Hm… clever. But not clever enou-…" Imu began feeling for the tracking device, realizing it was no longer in her pocket. _Dammit! Must have lost it during that chase. _

Imu moved slowly and quietly through the mecha cosplayers, eyes peeled for any sign of Anonydeath. From the corner of her eye, a pink suit of armor was walking towards what appeared to be an exit door. Imu's body tensed, her feet picking up pace to a fast walk as she approached the pink suit from behind. Quickly grabbing the person by the shoulder, Imu turned it around only to see a pink mech suit with a large plastic triangular shield, a fake, white beam rifle and the shape of a what appeared to be a golden boomerang above it's head. With eyes widened, an embarrassed, light blush rushed to Imu's face. "Uhm… that's a really authentic, nice costume."

"Thanks." The cosplayer replied, "Yours too. You look like you're ready for war. Me? I can't exactly fight a war with a big smile on my face." Imu simply smiled back, nodding and pretending to know what he was talking about.

* * *

Anonydeath found his way into an electrical breaker room, taking deep breaths and holding his hands on his hips. "Jeez, with those running stats you'd think she was meant to be a Neptunia villain! Honestly, who was she? Arfy and her new business partner are gonna have a lot to answer to for this madness."

"You're all gonna have a lot to answer for when I'm through with you." Imu approached Anony, staff out, taking careful, slow steps.

"My goddess, you are a persistent one." Anonydeath sighed, "I'm afraid I'm a guy who doesn't really like the pushy types, sweetheart."

"Hmph. Well, you'll just have to learn to like it then, cause there's plenty more of that where you'll be going." Imu said with a glare.

"Oooohohoho, you're a saucy one. I must say it's impressive that you've kept up with me for this long. You must really have the hots for me." Anony's words came off in a slightly seductive tone. Imu's lip twitched but she ignored the comment, focusing her eyes on Anonydeath. With a sudden, higher pitched change in tone, Anony said, "Either that or you're just lonely! If you just wanted to be friends, you could have said so, you poor thing."

"Eeh… S-Shut up! I am not lonely! And why would I wanna be friends with someone who looks like he was ripped out of one of my sister's mangas?!" Imu said, showing slightly gritted teeth.

"Oh come now, this suit is a highly advanced piece of technology. It might not be hyper-explosive to words like some people, but I've gotten much more than my money's worth on this baby. Have you ever seen these kinda suits where you live?" Anony asked casually.

"I didn't come here to discuss tech trends! Now quiet, you!" Imu replied, gritting her teeth.

"I bet you don't even have technology where you come from with that stick of yours. So needless to say, I was quite shocked when you sent that little lightning bolt to spank my cheekles." He turned around, patting his rear, "I'm still feelin' the tinglies a little."

"You'll be feeling a lot more than that once I'm through with you, creep! Now get down on the ground!" Imu raised her voice, aggressively pointing her staff at Anony as if to command him.

"You'll have to ask nicely, sister. I told you I don't like girls who are pushy."

"Oh, you don't? Then how about this?" Imu began shaking, the veins on her forehead beginning to boil, her words seething through her teeth. "Get down on the ground before I ELECTROCUTE YOUR ASS FORCIBLY!"

"AH! Such a barbarian, but just like my Noire you are sooo cute when you're angry." Anony once again put his hands on his face in a melodramatic fashion.

Imu began angrily spinning her staff as the ends of it began to generate electricity. "Rrgh, EAT LIGHTNING, STUPID ASS! Secret Ninja Art, Rolling Thunder Two!" Anonydeath leapt out of the way as Imu sent her staff flying, creating a small electric twister. Sparks began flying wildly as switchboards, breakers, transformers, and more all reacted violently to Imu's attack. Imu yelped, falling on her ass, as surrounding sparks spewed like a fountain, blacking out the entire convention within the main building's complex.

As a majority of the sparks faded, Imu got up in pitch darkness, walking slowly forward. Imu felt the wind knocked out of her as the steel tongue of Anonydeath's boot kneed her in the stomach. With a paralyzing shove, she fell back onto the ground, barely making out the green lights from his visor. "I'm sorry, but I simply don't have the time to be messing with… why, I never caught your name."

Despite her resistance to electricity, between the hard blow to the gut and the paralysis, Imu struggled to get up. "I am… Imu… of… Hebijo." a few coughs left her mouth before her arms gave in and she fell face down again.

"Imu, huh. I would make you pay for the damage to my suit, but luckily I got off with minor scrapes. You know, you really are a cute one, but still too pushy for my tastes. Hope we can talk again sometime though; I haven't had that much exhilarating fun in a long time!" Anonydeath said, running off.

* * *

The moment the lights went out, 5pb stopped singing. Only a small bit of sunlight from the window of the outside doors shone in the rear of the arena, but it was not enough for the hundreds in the audience, who's incessant chatter over what just happened began to irk Murasaki's nerves as she tried calling out for Vert.

"I'm right here, Saki. But I can't find Ram!" Vert's voice called out, Murasaki gripping tightly onto Vert's arm as the latter called out for Ram. As Vert tried pushing through the crowds looking for Ram, so too did the endless swarms of people mix themselves up in a frenzy in what Murasaki would have called 'a clusterfuck', had she not been wrestling to keep a grip on the Leanbox CPU. "Vert, please! Don't move so fast, I can't… keep up."

Another confused body pushed it's way through the masses and in that moment, Murasaki felt Vert's fingers slipping from hers. "Vert?... Vert? Vert… please. Where… are you?" Murasaki weakly cried out, but her voice was drowned out by the clamoring masses. Her heart then pounded faster with each passing beat, the hair on her skin standing on end as her body trembled. Despite the shimmer of light from the rear of the arena doors, for Murasaki, everything began to grow darker. She could barely make out microphoned voices saying, 'Ladies and Gentlemen. We apologize for this horrible inconvenience, please remain calm and stay where you are. The show will continue once…' but they faded into the background as Murasaki's anxiety began to slowly boil. Just then, she made out the silhouettes of people falling and flying out of the way as clanking, steel footsteps could be heard.

Ram jumped out in the middle of the isle, blocking a large, pink power-suited man as she called out the name Anonydeath. Between his lit-up visor and Ram being close towards the exit, Vert caught a perfect glance. "Well, well, if it isn't the Noire-ophile. Now just what are you and the Sages Syndicate planning?" Vert approached, pulling out her lance.

"Oh, give me a break." Anony sighed, looking back and forth at the two closing in CPUs. "Now, now, let us not get too hasty." Faking an attack towards Vert, he dodged an ice beam from Ram who attempted to hit him from behind but only ended up freezing Vert's leg. Vert cried out in pain, but as Ram called out to her, Anonydeath disarmed the little Loweean Candidate and grabbed her. "Not a sudden move from anyone or the little big mouth gets it."

"Put her down, Vermin!" Vert demanded.

"Yeah, lemme go, you big dummy!" Ram yelled, kicking her legs. Some of the locals in the audience who were close enough began to chime in with Vert and Ram until Anonydeath showed them a dangerous electric spark from his hand.

"On the contrary, this kid is my ticket to freedom. Believe me, I usually don't enjoy resorting to such scummy tactics, but you leave me no choice, Verty-pie." Anonydeath took slow, careful steps back towards the door until he dashed out, with Ram in his arms.

Using the blunt end of her spear, Vert quickly busted the ice on her leg. Upon a brief look back, she saw Murasaki reaching out to her from a distance, attempting to call to her. Vert tried to call back, but the crowds were too great. As if stockpiling stress, Vert looked back at the exit doors and then back at Murasaki again. And again. And again… shaking in her skin until finally with an upset grunt, she turned and dashed out the door.

_Vert… I thought… you cared. _The water rushed to Murasaki's eyes as she watched Vert leave, unaware of what had fully occurred. _This is why… I hate people. This is why I'll never be good enough for anyone. Because I've never been good enough. Not for my family, my school, my sister. _Murasaki felt the dark aura rising from inside. Her hair follicles, alive with malice, started to rise as an overwhelming urge began to boil her blood. _Oh no. No, not now. Not here. Bebetan. Please. I don't wanna… be a monster. Help me… _"HELP MEEEEEEEEEE!"

Murasaki's scream burned, as a sinister, black sphere engulfed in the immediate area. Panic; screams echoed as Murasaki opened her eyes to the sight of people fleeing the arena. Body after body surrounded her, their still, lifeless and mangled forms all pointing to what she'd done, to which her eyes reflected the horrified stare of death.

One crying man held one of the bodies in his arms. Murasaki attempted to apologize, but when the man rushed her, a weak "No, stay back." was all she could muster before her hair turned and lunged a spectral, purple shruriken at the man, impaling him in the stomach. "No. No no no no no no no! This is why I told them I wanted to stay home." Murasaki sobbed, dropping her head. Rasping her voice, she made Bebetan say, "Why bother with any of them? Why bother when none of them care for you? They all hate your guts anyways! So why not hate them back?"

As security guards rushed in, demanding Saki to freeze, she looked up slowly, glaring at their tasers aimed her direction. "Out of my way." Murasaki's voice dripped with a deep venom before dark, ghostly claws came from the tips of her hair, slashing away several of the security guards and injuring the rest. "Anyone ELSE wanna try and get in my fucking way!?"

Just then, Murasaki detected an incoming attack. Attempting to dodge, she still got knocked back as an electric resonance rose up from the ground. Looking up, she saw the music idol now standing a bit away from her, holding her guitar in a fighting stance. "You're… the music artist. Vert's friend, aren't you?" Murasaki droned a deadpanned glare Lyrica's direction.

"I am 5pb of Leanbox! I don't know who you are, but I can't let you harm any more innocent people!" 5pb shouted.

"Innocent? None of us are innocent. We are all selfish, hypocritical, ignorant sacks of flesh who's only goal in life is their own personal gain and bringing others down to their level. By the way, I am Murasaki. It would seem that even your friend, miss Vert, has abandoned you just as she abandoned me. What say you to that?"

"I didn't see exactly what happened, but one of our enemies was in sight! So, my Lady Vert would never run off without reason!"

"Lies… LIES! She abandoned me just like EVERYBODY ELSE! And listen to yourself. Calling her your lady. That kind of ass-kissing submission SICKENS ME!" Murasaki screamed, forming a dark energy orb, which she swung in 5pb's direction.

Swinging her guitar like a baseball bat, 5pb deflected Murasaki's orb, sending it into a hanging light fixture. "I call her 'Lady' out of respect. NOT BECAUSE I THINK SHE'S BETTER THAN ME!" 5pb responded by firing a series of multi-colored waves from her guitar at Murasaki.

Murasaki dodged to the side before sending more dark spheres at 5pb, who performed a ducking slide under the first two and quickly got up reflecting the 3rd sphere back at her. Murasaki swung her primary hair shuriken, slashing the energy orb and making it dissipate. But then she noticed 5pb charging up a ball of electricity over her head, which grew bigger and bigger as she played a guitar riff. "Haaaaaa! Plasma Oven!" 5pb shouted, using her guitar to pitch it.

"You… you STAY AWAY WITH THAT THING!" Murasaki charged up her own, large energy sphere before launching it. The two attacks met in the middle, dissipating into a small explosion that rocked the arena. The area filled with a sparking smoke, 5pb keeping her eyes peeled for her opponent. Suddenly Murasaki flew through the smoke, swinging her hair shurikens at 5pb. The two found themselves in a lock as 5pb's battle guitar pushed back against Murasaki's main hair blade.

"I would ask… how you know Lady Vert." 5pb grunted, unwilling to give in to Saki.

"She seemed like such a nice person. She was so nice to me when I was all alone! She and the little one said they'd help find my sister. And they… they LEFT ME!" Murasaki squeezed tears out of her eyes as she attempted to strike 5pb with her two smaller, side-hair shurikens.

While the body of her guitar blocked Murasaki's main blade, 5pb whipped the head of her guitar up, blocking one of Saki's smaller blades by entangling her hair around the guitar neck. However, her right shuriken sliced across Lyrica's cheek. The idol winced in pain but stood her ground. "I pity you, you know. The way you talk… I can tell you're in pain. And that you've bottled things for so long that now you can no longer hold back."

Murasaki looked ready to cry for a moment, "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! Like you would know ANYTHING ABOUT PAIN!" Murasaki flared up, dark aura around her blazing. "You idols live the good life! Travelling around, adored by millions! Singing with voices so beautiful that many envy and WISH they could even have. So don't talk like you KNOW MEEE!"

5pb yelled, still pushing back against Murasaki, her muscles growing stiff. "I could say the same thing about you! My parents did not support my singing, my mother degraded me because she was jealous of my voice! I never wanted fans or to become popular! I just love to sing, and it turned out that way! I may look confident on stage, but the truth is I suffer from stage fright unless I absorb myself into my songs or unless I'm in battle! I still struggle with talking to people!"

"An introverted idol? That doesn't make sense." Murasaki questioned.

"So ya see! Just because I'm popular DOESN'T MEAN I'M PERFECT!" with a swift kick, 5pb sent Murasaki rolling on the ground. Briefly wiping the blood from her cheek, 5pb took aim. "Now, resonate with my song! Heavenly Sound!" Murasaki yelped as with each guitar strum, a spark of electricity painfully hit Murasaki in various spots of her body, tearing small parts of her dress in the process. Until finally the last strike had seemingly paralyzed her.

"Murasaki, was it? I may not know you, but that does not mean I don't understand suffering. I've been there!" 5pb walked forward slowly, placing an arm gently around a teary-eyed Murasaki.

"_Don't be fooled. She's lying to you and you know it." _Murasaki trembled, hearing the deep feminine voice in her head again. _That voice… No, not that voice again. _"No… No, please."

"It's okay. You'll be alright." 5pb said.

"No! No, go away and let me DIE!" Murasaki cried, unleashing the surrounding root of calamity once more. 5pb's outfit shredded, leaving her already somewhat exposed body in little more than rags as she was thrown back, hitting the ground. Murasaki, still on her knees with paralysis, struggled to even look her head up. Her face an absolute mess with tears and snot streams. "You're… still alive… you're… no ordinary person. Just… who are you?"

5pb grunted, turning over. "Someone… who's gonna set you free from whatever possesses you, Murasaki."

"But don't you see?" Saki's lips trembled. "There's nothing you can do for me. I was cursed with this power from the moment I was born." As she attempted to continue talking, her words slurred as she began bawling quietly.

5pb forced herself to her feet, her legs shaking as they struggled to support her stiff body. "There is power in this world, Murasaki. It is neither cursed nor blessed. It all matters on how we use it! And I'm going to use mine to set you free! Prepare yourself… 5pb. LIVE!" climbing back up onto the stage, 5pb sent wild guitar waves Saki's direction as she sang "_Shine! Stars of dreams. Over Limit! Going beyond limits, surely. Because I will not lose to anyone!_"

Murasaki screamed, her bloodcurdling scream echoing the arena, making 5pb sing stronger. Murasaki fell backwards onto her back her dress getting destroyed, leaving her in her undies as 5pb finished. Limping over to where Murasaki lay, 5pb looked down, holding out a hand to the girl. "You fool…" Saki muttered. "Why can't you see? Nobody can help me."

5pb tried to console Murasaki when suddenly Imu's staff struck her in the back of the head, knocking her out cold. Running towards her sister, Imu held Murasaki in her arms. "Murasaki! What happened? WHAT HAPPENED?!" Imu began to break down. "Where did you go!? I told you to wait outside the bathroom!"

Murasaki simply held on to her sister, sobbing into her chest.


	22. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Road to Gokudo

Nearly half an hour after Compa and the Hanzo girls had entered the bullet train and none of them spoke a word. At 8 in the morning, most of them wanted to sleep, but Katsuragi couldn't bring herself to get so much as a wink, staring out the window intently into what she felt was an endless void. A void that was draining her so much that she couldn't bring herself to perform her usual antics as she blankly looked over at Asuka, who was sleeping in the chair beside her.

Across from them, sat Yagyu, Hibari, and Compa from left to right. The latter now leaning against Hibari's shoulder like a pillow, slumping in her chair with her butt just hanging over the edge. A bump in the tracks and Yagyu awoke slightly, smiling down to see Hibari resting against her shoulder. Yagyu ran her fingers carefully through Hibari's hair as she used to so long ago with her sister Nozomi. With her groggy eye still half open, Yagyu then noticed Compa's head resting against Hibari's shoulder, and by extent, on Yagyu's hand.

_Who does she think she is? Getting all cozy with my Hibari when she hardly knows us. _Yagyu's hand trembled as she struggled to inch her hand out from under Compa's peach colored locks. Biting her lip slighty, Yagyu peeked a half-closed eye around to make sure nobody was looking. Closing her eye, she shoved Compa's head off of Hibari's shoulder before going back to her resting position.

Compa awoke to the feeling, her head knocking against the bottom of the seat as her butt hit the floor. "Ouch!" Compa looked up angrily, getting to her feet. "What did you do that for?!"

"Hm? I don't know what you're talking about." Yagyu yawned.

"Don't lie to me! I felt you shove my head off when I wasn't bothering you one bit." Compa glared, placing her hands on her hips.

"Hm. There's plenty about you that bothers me. Like bothering us when we're trying to sleep." Yagyu clutched Hibari's shoulder tighter as the pink-haired ninja began to open her eyes from the noise and shifting.

"You went bothering me first." Compa complained with a huff.

Yagyu now opened her eyes fully, leaning up from her seat, "I hope you know that the only reason we let you on this trip is because you might be a lead to what's been happening around here. That and we don't have time to interrogate you, so for right now, you watch your step."

"Yagyu. Why are you being so mean to Compa?" Hibari lightly groaned, opening her eyes up at Yagyu.

"I am merely taking precaution and protecting you, Hibari. We wanna watch out for any suspicious characters who could inject you with who knows what at any given notice." Yagyu replied.

"How rude! It's one thing not to trust new people, but you act like I pulled a needle on someone." Compa's voice grew a tone lower, a vein popping on her head.

"Watch it, 'nurse'. You're reminding me an awful lot of another medicine wielding whore I know." Yagyu now glared into Compa's eyes.

"YAGYU!" Hibari gasped.

"I normally try to get along with people, but you're makin' me mad, miss Yagyu." Compa raised her voice slightly.

"You guys mind keepin' it down? Some of us are trying to sleep here." Asuka groaned, turning and not opening her eyes.

"Then why don't you watch how close you're getting with people? Especially to Hibari. This is serious business we're on, not some pleasure cruise." Yagyu growled.

Suddenly Katsuragi stomped the ground hard prompting Hibari and Compa to cry an 'eep'. "Why don't you ALL shut the HELL UP! Or need I remind you that OUR class rep. Our FRIEND… has been captured by a bunch of scum bags and taken ALL the way to Kobe! And all you can think about… all you EVER think about is how can I baby Hibari?!"

"You watch your mouth, Katsu, I don't baby her, I care for her! Or do you not?" Yagyu growled.

"Oh, I've chosen my words VEEERY carefully, Yagyu. And I'm sick of seeing you fret over EVERY little germ that comes within 12 feet/3 and a half meters of her while the rest of YOUR team could be fucking dying out there, but you don't give a shit!" Katsuragi snapped.

"That's a lie and you know it!" Yagyu got up from her seat, facing Katsuragi

"Guys, stop fighting." Hibari had her hands folded against her chin, shuddering.

"Yeah, quit acting like a bunch of babies. You're needlessly upsetting Hibbi." Compa said, trying to comfort Hibari.

"Tch. Hibbi, hibbi, don't you dare call her that, you lecherous vixen." Yagyu growled.

Compa began to protest but Katsuragi interjected. "You see, Yagyu! This is exactly what I'm talking about! And you!" she turned to Compa, "We're in a very DELICATE situation, so you better watch just what you DO AROUND HERE!"

"Katsu-ne! Calm down, right now! Yelling isn't helping anything or anyone!" Asuka placed an arm on Katsuragi's shoulder but Katsu shrugged her off.

"Don't tell me to calm down when we got Hibari bringin in strange bitches we don't know we can trust and Yagyu not giving a damn about Ikaruga!" Like stepping on a landmine, Katsuragi's comment created an explosive uproar, which the others reacted similarly until Asuka yelled, physically coming between them and even causing some of the other passengers to stare their direction.

A moment of silence followed, Asuka felt her lungs pumping as she took deep breaths before lowering her voice. "Belittling each other does nothing! Let us move on so we can actually save Ikaruga."

"And who put you in charge, Asuka? Just cause you've got the Hanzo name, doesn't mean you're leader material! You're not Ikaruga, never will be!" Katsuragi flared up for a moment, but her expression quickly changed as Asuka dropped her head. "I… I'm sorry, Asuka. I… I didn't mean it, I'm just… I'm worried about her." Katsu's voice cracked, sounding close to tears.

"Let's all just… take a break, okay?" Asuka fell back into her chair.

Hibari got up, eyes filled with light tears as she held her head. "Yeah… I need a bathroom break too."

"Hibari. Let me walk you, it's too shaky on this tr-…" Yagyu reached for her, but Hibari slapped Yagyu's hand away saying she'd go herself. Katsuragi grunted before leaving her seat, Yagyu following suit shortly after. A foul, discomforting air was left with Asuka and Compa, who stayed in silence, uncertain of whether the other was trying to get back to sleep or if they simply wanted to be alone in their thoughts.

* * *

An hour or so later, Compa found Asuka near the back of the train. Asking her if she was doing alright, Asuka greeted her with a smile. "Oh. Compa is it? Yeah, I'm… fine I suppose."

But Compa noticed Asuka's eyes drifting away as the words floated from her mouth drearily. "Hey now. It's okay to have troubles. Everyone has them."

A caring warmth came from Compa's voice to which Asuka smiled again. "Well, see… my grandfather is… an important warrior. And it's my duty to carry on his legacy, but… I've just been thinking about what Katsu said. And she's probably right. I'm not exactly leader material."

"Oh, don't listen to her. She's just a big grumpy-pants. I'm certain you're-…"

"No Compa. She… had a point back there." Asuka's tone then lowered. "Grandfather said I should always be like the sword and shield. And that means protecting those I care about but… I don't know where to begin. How do I protect those I care about? I couldn't even protect Ikaruga."

As Asuka's voice trembled, Compa placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ikki sounds like a really special person."

"She's extraordinary. Our class representative and the heir to her family business. Well… She's the owner of it now. She's mature and knows how to bring people together. Some who used to hate her are now her closest friends. She's got a whole life ahead of her." Asuka continued after Compa wowed over it. "Even Katsu… she wants to… graduate so she can see her parents again. And Yagyu's always been quite skilled a shin-… warrior. So, it's only natural she'd fall in with our clll-an. But I… I'm not even sure how to proceed with my goal or even 100% sure of what it means."

Compa leaned against the railing of the car, looking out the window with Asuka. "You know, you remind me of my friend back on Planeptune. She doesn't always know what she wants to do either. Which can kinda get her in trouble with the oracle. But once she gets serious, nothing stops her. Well, except maybe a pudding shortage." Asuka shared a short laugh with Compa before the latter continued. "Sometimes, miss Asuka, ya just gotta go for it! My grandpa always said, if what you don't know is in the shitter, dive in headfirst anyways."

"I certainly hope he was only speaking metaphorically." Asuka sweatdropped. "Still, I think I get what you're saying. I kinda wish my grandpa worded things the way yours does. But what if we don't know how to jump in, headfirst?"

"You shouldn't worry. If it's your dream, something will come to you eventually." Compa smiled. Asuka watched the Japanese countrysides pass by her in a flash and in some sense, kind of felt like the very train she was riding. A train that had a sense of pride in the direction it was going of carrying on the legacy of what it had always done, and yet was bound to never be able to derail from it's trajectory and explore the vast and beautiful possibilities of the other side of the field.

"If I can be honest with you, Compa… Sometimes I… don't even know if it's my dream or not. My family is a long line of warriors and I'm kinda supposed to uphold the family name. After all, the school was named in honor of grandpa."

"Well… Do you have to be a great leader to continue his legacy?" Compa asked, Asuka looking up at her, "I may not know much about the Shin Warrior Clan, but I feel you can uphold it in your own way. Or better yet, make your own legacy."

Asuka looked out the window, _My own legacy. _Suddenly the voice of Hibari came from around the corner. "I know how you feel, Asuka. I never wanted to be a fighter either. But because of my eyes, the whole family was kinda routing for me to."

"Ooooh. So, your eyes are like some kind of inheritance thing? That's so cool, Hibbi!" Compa exclaimed.

"I thought it was a curse for a while. And sometimes, I still don't know if I wanna be here, ya know? But then, seeing everyone's smiles… Yagyu, Kat, Ikaruga, Asuka, and now you Compa. It makes me wanna go on to become a full-fledged shinobi." Hibari said, but then Asuka elbowed her.

"Hm? What's a shinobi?" Compa tilted her head.

"It's a… slang term… f-for the Shin Clan, hehe… heh." Asuka rubbed the back of her head.

"Welp. I'm gonna head back to the others. I'll meet ya guys there." Hibari smiled as she waved back at them.

"And one more thing, Compa. Don't take what Yagyu said to heart. She's just over-protective of Hibari." Asuka then told Compa the story of how Yagyu lost her sister and what it did to her before meeting Hibari.

"I see. That's why she's so over-protective. She doesn't wanna lose anyone else." Compa replied.

"Yes. But I fear that if she keeps it up too much, she may end up losing Hibari in another way. I just wish she'd realize it." Asuka said.

"She'll have to sooner or later. Come, on, let's head back to the others." Compa finished, the two walking back to their seats.

* * *

The girls returned to a very remorseful Katsuragi, who hugged Asuka while crying, even apologizing to Compa, the latter taking back her seat beside Hibari, but looked over a chair. "Miss Yagyu. I know you're suspicious of me, but I never wanna bring harm to any of my friends. So I'm sorry if I gave the wrong impression. I'm not trying to take Hibbi away from you."

"Uh?!..." Yagyu's eyes dropped to the ground. "No, you're… alright I just… I don't trust people easily."

"It's okay. I hope we can all get along one day." Compa said, placing a hand on Yagyu's, who looked over in surprise.

Hibari giggled, "Oh, I know we will. And we'd all like to get to know you better, Compa." Hibari then placed her hand on both Compa and Yagyu's. Hibari was right, as the remainder of the train trip was spent talking with Compa about the mysterious creatures which had attacked Shibuya that day. Katsu still said that the idea of a dogoo made her conflicted as to whether she wanted to kill it, snuggle it, or eat it.

"And just… where did you say you were from again?" Yagyu raised an eyebrow.

"Planeptune. In Gamindustri." Compa replied. Hibari then asked where Gamindustri was. "I'm not entirely sure. At least from here. My only guess is that where we are now is in another dimension."

"Game Industry? Another dimension? Are we seriously gonna believe her?" Yagyu folded her arms.

"Well, I'm not too certain about another dimension myself." Katsuragi scratched her chin, "But we do know that the Yoma come from a world not of our own. I heard that their's is a dimension of hell."  
"Wh-what's a yoma?" Compa felt chills run up her spine as Katsuragi explained.

"The yoma often give off a specific aura that we can detect. However, during that fight, some of the creatures you described, Compa, had a Yoma-like aura… but others didn't." Katsu leaned back in her seat, looking towards Compa.

"Well, in my world, there's no such thing as yoma. However, the monsters we fought last were much stronger and more vicious than usual. They had red skin and glowing, yellow eyes which they don't usually have. It was scary." Compa rubbed her forearms as she shuddered, thinking about it.

"Hm. It certainly sounds like a yoma." Asuka said.

"That is awful suspicious indeed. Which is all the more reason for us to stay on our guard." Yagyu added.

Compa then noticed Asuka inspecting a box below her seat. When asked, Asuka gave a grin. "Oh. This is how we're going to get into Gokudo. Supposedly they're disguised as a psychotherapy department, so they're gonna need _s__pecial _deliveries from time to time."

* * *

Eventually the train reached its destination at Kobe-Sannomiya Station. Getting off their ride, the girls found a bathroom, changing into their fake delivery uniforms before continuing through Kobe, taking a taxi towards the area where Kiriya had initially informed them that Gokudo would be.

The streets of Kobe burst to life with its vibrant colors of red, orange, and gold, which popped out from the many tall buildings, overhanging banners, and succulent food stands, the latter of which flooded the streets with smells of Yakisoba, Takoyaki, and Yakitori among others. While not too crowded, Compa made sure to watch out for any passerbys as she took in the heat of Kobe, which stimulated her senses.

"Wooowww. So, this is Kobe! It's so bright and colorful!" Compa grinned.

"Uh huh. It's my first time here too!" Hibari smiled back.

"Let's try to stay on task. We're not here for a picnic, after all." Yagyu bluntly spoke.

"Mmm. But I wanted to try something." Hibari whined slightly.

"W-well, I…" Yagyu looked around at the various shops. "I suppose we could stop and get something."

"Yagyu. You just said we're not here for that. Besides, we can't carry all that food and these boxes at the same time." Asuka frowned a flat look of disapproval.

Katsuragi glared at them both. "You're doing it again, Yagyu! Quit coddling her. And now's not an appropriate time to be thinking about snacks, Hibari!" Katsuragi then turned to Asuka, "and Asuka, no offense, but you need to put some more stern in your voice if you wanna be a leader."

Hibari sighed, "Oh, Yagyu. You're just the same as ever. You always get that way every time I want something."

"You mean you just asked to see my reaction?! I care about you, Hibari. I love you." Yagyu bit her lip, her eyes shaking slightly.

"I know that." Hibari looked into Yagyu's eye, "But sometimes it feels like I hold you back when you do that. I want you to be free without burden, Yagyu."

"Hibari, you're not a burden at all!" Yagyu grabbed her arm, exchanging an eye glancing look which rode on a sea of conflicted and confused emotions. Silence followed, as eventually Hibari said nothing, as she slowly pulled away from Yagyu, who's grip on her weakened before her arm dropped back at her side.

* * *

Asuka began looking around more cautiously, "I believe we're getting close."

"What makes you so sure?" Compa asked.

Asuka nodded as they passed a few men in suits who stood outside shops, some even seemingly selling something. "See those businessmen? If you look close, you can make out the tattoo markings. Kiriya says that Gokudo members usually wear tattoos."

The girls passed by a casino, Asuka simply smiling and waving at a boy in a black suit who simply smiled back and bowed slightly, to which the others noticed the beginning of a teal-scaled tattoo design which his collar would have normally hid had he not bowed.

Once out of earshot, Compa put her finger on her chin. "Don't you think it's weird that for a secret organization, Mister Kiriya seems to know a whole lot about them?"

"Weird?" Katsuragi looked back, "He's a teacher. They're allowed to have higher knowledge of these things."

"But he did get kinda quiet when we tried to ask him about the details. Even I notice when something's up with Kiriya Sensei." Hibari chimed in.

"Huh. Good point. If it was just teacher knowledge, perhaps he might have said so more nonchalantly." Katsuragi began to think.

"Ya know what it sounds like? That Mister Kiriya is keeping secrets." Compa blurted.

"Um… Compa… are you… always this blunt?" Hibari sweatdropped.

"I'd suggest you watch it, miss Compa. We've known Kiriya much longer than you. He'd never lead us astray." Yagyu interjected, her eyes glancing from the side suspiciously at Compa.

"Maybe you're right, but I've seen how traitors and tricksters work before."

"You calling Master Kiriya a traitor?" Yagyu glanced over Compa's direction.

"Knock it off you guys. We're almost there." Asuka said. The girls reached a square building, which looked like an average municipal building, with it's common, off-tan color and unmarked entry way. Asuka pulled out a map, to which Hibari asked what that was for. "If we linger too long, it'll look suspicious. We'll be in less danger if they think we're lost."

"Ha! Now that's usin' your ramen noodle Asuka! And here I thought you were all jugs and no brains." Katsuragi chuckled, groping Asuka from behind.

"K-k-kat! S-stop it! Now's not the time or place." Asuka squirmed.

"Your friend, Katsu, is a shameless perv. Isn't anyone gonna stop her?" Compa frowned.

"Uum… If I try that… she'll just grope me instead." Hibari pouted.

"Don't worry, I won't let anyone touch you, Hibari. But… she has a point." Yagyu added.

Compa eyes furrowed as her frown grew more aggressive. "HEY! knock it off, Katsuragi!" without warning, Compa then bonked Katsu on the head, making her let go of Asuka. "Don't be such a bully to poor Asuka. You alright, dear?" Compa turned to Asuka putting an arm around her shoulder.

"Compa… Thank you." Asuka smiled towards her.

"Ow. You're stronger than you look." Katsuragi rubbed her head before speaking in a more hushed tone, "But hey. mission accomplished." The others looked confused. "Ya see, if we add a little bit of antics into our subterfuge, it makes it look more legitimate." Katsu nodded with her eyes over to a few more suited men, one whom was passing by, another, lifting his newspaper to cover his eyes.

Just then another suited young man approached them. "Good morning. Might I help you girls with something?"

"Mhm!" Asuka nodded. "Is this the Awaji Psychotherapy Center? We have a delivery of paper, printer ink, and coffee."

"Ah, you folks are earlier than expected. This is great… please, follow me." Following the young man through the gate, the girls gulped as the impending building of what they knew to be Gokudo Academy was growing ever so closer, a great unknown looming over them.

Asuka, however, looked forward. _Hang on, Ikaruga. We're coming._


	23. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Boys of Gokudō Part 1

**Author's Note: **Sorry I have been gone so long, guys. my computer broke and I needed to purchase a new one. Combined with several other personal problems occuring, I have not been writing as much as I'd like. However, I have 2 new chapters for you all with a third on the way. I have not dropped this series, nor do I intend to anytime soon. I know this isn't the most compelling story, but writing is a process and I will continue to update already existing chapters as I go on.

* * *

Suzuki stopped cold. His dark red hair standing on end as he walked into his boss's office, his lightly tanned face going a tad pale.

Unlike the elite room with its vintage furniture and rustic atmosphere, the boss's room was lined with frames of Gokudō Academy pictures and articles of their past endeavors. Various weapons also decorated the walls; knives, shurikens, kunai, axes and guns, all relics of the boss's past.

While the rest of his body froze still, Suzuki's eyes trembled at the site of a dismembered pinky on the boss's desk right beside his golden name plate, embroidered "Kenshi Yamauchi". Across from his desk, the black yoroi of a shinobi grunt could be seen, holding his hand as the tears squeezed from his eyes.

Kenshi leaned back in his chair. The boss blew a puff of smoke from his lips, "So, you've chosen your pinky over your armband. Why?"

"Because, Oyabun. Removing my armband would be cutting off a part of me that would hurt more than losing a pinky." The grunt said through tears. Suzuki found his hand gripping his own armband. An armband of the school which depicted a dragon and a koi fish, their tails forming the shape of a diamond up the middle until their heads met at the bottom.

Kenshi then lifted one leg over the other as he leaned back in his chair, his dark gold pompadour hairstyle curling just over his forehead like a hunter's skin hat. "Be honest with me here. Why do you weep?"

"It would be a lie if I said it didn't hurt, my Oyabun." The grunt whimpered. "But I weep mostly for the wrongs I have committed. Against our comrades. Against the academy. Against my own growth. So please, i beg your forgiveness as I have begged for theirs."

Suzuki watched Kenshi adjust the white under-collar of his black suit before getting up from his seat. A tall man, Kenshi towered over most folks at approximately 6 ft./1.8 Meters. After tossing his cigarette and taking a few steps over to the grunt, he wrapped his arm around the grunt in a loving manner, saying "you have been forgiven, brother."

After a seemingly sentimental moment, Kenshi then dismissed the grunt, who walked past Suzuki with a slight bow, Kenshi then calling his fellow Elite ninja over. "Suzu, my brother. Come in. I assume your mission was successful? I am sorry you had to see that. But Yubitsume is still the Gokudō way." As Kenshi leaned on his desk, Suzuki must have reeked of worry as Kenshi practically smelt it. "That's not what troubles you, is it? Perhaps I should have sent Murasame in your place for the mission if you found it too difficult."

Suzuki gulped, "No, it wasn't difficult! At least… not the task itself." Kenshi sat back down in his chair, relaxing and imploring Suzuki to continue. "My mission was successful… but I… forgive me, Kenshi. But my last mission didn't feel like the Gokudō way."

"Oh, Suzuki. The man was a swindler, wife beater, and harassed his own daughter. We have done society a favor."

"I agree very much, but a drive-by shooting?! We could have just as easily sent one of the grunts to assassinate him! Now both the town and the police are on alert." Suzuki looked Kenshi directly in the eyes as he watched the latter adjust the collar of his white suit jacket.

"The Gokudō way is changing, Suzu. For too long our school hid in the shadows even by shinobi standards. But now we are finally in position to be making our mark on the shinobi world… no. Japan. We will show this country what happens to those that society has tossed to the curb like the weekly trash. And we will be a beacon of hope to those who have been spat on. The corrupt and the mighty shall fall and the weak and forgotten shall rise up to take their place."

Suzuki's eyes began to drift. "I guess I just have to get used to it."

"Are you being honest?" Kenshi leaned forward and Suzuki felt an uneasy pressure as though his vulnerability was a bubble and Kenshi's words were needles.

Suzuki dropped his head, "Well… there is that other thing."

"You're worried about your sister. What she might think of you once we continue down this path."

"And for her safety. I'm sure I just have to get used to this path, Kenshi, but…"

Kenshi cut him off. "Remind me again, Suzuki. You said she was 9 when you all got separated. Yozakura, was it?"

Suzuki nodded, "I remember her the best since she always took care of us after mom and dad died. Even though I would sometimes help out, being the second oldest, that didn't stop her from putting even my needs ahead of hers. She was truly wonderful."

"It's been 8 years since then. Next time you see her, you can show her just how much you've grown." A slight smile grew across Kenshi's mouth. "When I first laid eyes on you, I passed you off as grunt fodder. But I knew even a rock could become a diamond. Now look at you. From an awkward baseball boy who couldn't flirt to save his life to a charming, young elite of the Gokudō Boys Academy. You've come a long way, Suzuki. And don't worry… we aren't gonna cause anarchy and randomly target civilians. Gokudō Academy still follows a code. And while that code may change, it will never be abandoned."

Suzuki got up; his resolve reinforced. "You're right, Kenshi. We'll show the world just what we're made of. And this time, I'll take care of her."

Suzuki felt his hand being taken by his boss in a firm grip. "That's the spirit, my brother. Now, I must check on our guest... to make sure Murasame doesn't do anything too brash."

* * *

Ikaruga had analyzed the room top to bottom several times over. The room's gleaming golden ceiling and floor which almost reflected Ikaruga's figure, it's velvety carpet walls that showcased the Gokudō Academy symbol, the fine leather cushioned couch with curved mahogany arms, and the fancy, jade chabudai table were meant to give a feeling of comfort. But Ikaruga refused to let herself fall into such a trap as she looked around for a weak point in the room, but to no avail. Ikaruga slumped down into the couch, her eyes beginning to wander when the door to the room opened as Kenshi walked in. Ikaruga guessed he was just slightly older than Daidoji.

"So, you're Ikaruga. Murasame's said much about you. Don't waste your time trying to escape. This room's designed to prevent it; in case you had any ideas. How you doing? Hope they didn't treat you too roughly. It's not the Gokudō way." Ikaruga simply glanced a look at him before closing her eyes in silence. "Ah, where are my manners? My name is Kenshi Yamauchi; head of the elites at the Gokudō Academy for Boys. Can I get you anything?"

With a turned head, Ikaruga shot a light glare at the Gokudō boss. "So you go to such great lengths as to capture me and yet you show such hospitality? Yes, if you would be so kind, I would like to have answers. Just what is it you want with me and what have you done to my brother?"

"I suppose we owe you that much." Kenshi sat down on the couch across from Ikaruga, the latter noticing a large, gold dragon ring on his finger as he folded his hands together. "Your brother attempted to start a riot in Gokudō territory when we found him one night. I have to say, for being adopted, I see much resemblance between you two."

"And that means?" Ikaruga folded one leg over the other as she looked Kenshi in the eyes.

Kenshi ran a hand through the bottom of his pompadour hairdo. "Most people are terrified when they talk to me. Not to sound arrogant, but my name carries quite a bit of weight in these parts. But you show no fear. And despite the position he was in, neither did your brother. The poor guy looked like he had been through hell and back. He stunk, hadn't eaten in days, one of the biggest emotional messes I'd seen in a long time. I could have snapped my fingers and he would have been like dust in the wind. But he didn't care. This was a young man whom life had spit on so much that he welcomed death. And I admire qualities like that in a person. Fearlessness of that caliber has great potential."

"But that doesn't make any sense. Murasame found his calling, he's one of the best businessmen I've ever seen! And you're telling me he just ran away!?" Ikaruga now looked straight at Kenshi, her shoulders tensely pushing her hands to her knees.

"Being good at something does not necessarily mean that you enjoy it, miss Ikaruga. Believe me." Kenshi's voice trailed on the last two words before he looked around the room. "Don't tell me he came in here and took that sword off you. Hien, was it?"

"Would he do anything else?" Ikaruga scoffed, turning her head in slight shame.

"Ah yes. He has always went on and on about that sword for a time. For a while it seemed he forgot about it but seeing you must have triggered a nerve." Kenshi then got up, inviting Ikaruga to come follow him to which she hesitantly complied, still not wanting to trust him.

"You still never answered my other question. What is it you Gokudō shinobi want with me?"

"Oh, I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding in that regard. With the exception of perhaps Murasame, the Gokudō Boys Academy wants nothing from the class rep of Hanzo. Well, maybe some of them have a few… base desires." Kenshi eyed her up very briefly to which Ikaruga took a step back, letting out a surprised 'ah' and turning away as though he were visually undressing her. "But don't worry. I will not allow such a thing to happen. As Oyabun of Gokudō Academy, you have my word. Anyone who tries to touch you otherwise will lose fingers."

"If you don't have a personal grudge then why have you kidnapped me!?" Ikaruga's frustration began to seep out.

"That's between you and Sir Ryoto Tairō. We are simply carrying out a job that was tasked to us."

Ikaruga's eyes widened as she placed a hand on her chest. "Tairō!? But they're business partners of Phoenix Corporation! I know his niece! Why would they order a kidnapping?!"

"That's between You. And. Tairō." Kenshi stated plainly before continuing through a set of double doors. Ikaruga followed the Gokudō boss into a small gymnasium made almost entirely of wood. While far from run down, and still very functional as a gym, it's age was showing with its fading, painted basketball lines and dusty scoreboard.

In the center they found Murasame taking practice swings at some wooden mannequins with Hien. "You look better with the chain and sickle, Murasame." Kenshi greeted.

"Kenshi, my Oyabun." Murasame gave a slight bow. "Why is she here?"

Before Kenshi could answer, Ikaruga took a step forward. "I would like you to return my sword, brother."

"You hold your tongue in the presence of Oyabun Yamauchi, sister!" Murasame barked back.

"At ease, Murasame. But yes, I do wish to know what happened. It's not nice to take sissy's toys, Same boy." Kenshi's voice gradually trailed into a slightly playful and almost sarcastic tone.

"Kenshi. You know how much this means to me. The weight of my family's heirloom and honor being taken from me by a foreign blood tramp to the point where even now the blasted bird, Hien, will not show itself to me!" Murasame's words sliced at Ikaruga's heart, her head dropping as looming shadows of guilt beat her with heartache. While she kept a mostly straight face outside, an emotional tornado battered her internally until all that remained was scattered confusion.

Kenshi casually leaned up against one of the training dummies, taking out a cigarette. "I thought Hien was the sword."

Murasame quickly walked over, pulling out a lighter, kindling the boss's cigarette for him. "You're not wrong, but the sword is called Hien after the spirit of the phoenix, which lives inside and can be summoned by its user. However, old texts say that Hien chooses its wielder and will only appear for those it so desires. Meaning she has already taken my birthright from me!" Murasame pointed angrily at his adopted sister. "Even if that stupid bird won't show it's face to me, I won't let you steal my birthright any longer!"

Ikaruga's sorrow slowly burned into a low-key anger. "How many times must we go over this same scenario, Murasame!? Father entrusted Hien to me because you… well… weren't exactly-..."

"Yeah go ahead and say it! I was weak! Incompetent! Incapable of being a proper shinobi. Looking back on it, perhaps I was a little ignorant to my own mediocrity, but no more! During the time I was absent my training intensified! After much pain, I went back to win the regional chain and sickle tournaments three times! Tell you what. If my Oyabun permits it… why don't we settle this once and for all? If I win, Hien is mine." Murasame placed Hien on the ground, pulling out his Kusarigama.

"How about we make this interesting? If I win, I keep Hien AND let me go free." Ikaruga and Murasame both looked over towards Kenshi, who leaned up from the mannequin, blowing a small puff of smoke.

"No. I'm afraid I cannot risk such a wager. Especially since our business is to our client. However, I can tell this Hien business has very personal flames that haven't been fully doused just yet. Therefore, I permit this match for ownership of the phoenix blade. Help me out would you, Murasame?" Kenshi began flipping the training dummies underneath to reveal floorboards. Murasame quickly helped out, clearing the gymnasium for the match.

* * *

"Prepare, sister! This is the last time you steal my birthright!" Murasame called out as Ikaruga gripped Hien's hilt. _Just focus Ikaruga. It'll be over shortly. Shortly… _Ikaruga tried to glare Murasame's direction, but every time she made eye contact, her heart stung, wanting to cry out. Kenshi raised an arm before swinging it down in a chopping manner. "begin!"

Jumping backwards, Ikaruga sent several blue energy waves at Murasame, who swung the sickle part of his Kusarigama, quickly blocking the waves. Hoping to end it quickly, Ikaruga dashed forward when Murasame dashed for her as well. Flashing past him, she unleashed a flurry of slashing, blue energy waves behind her. While it cut up his black Gokudō school uniform some, revealing some new tattoos on his arms, Ikaruga was shocked to see Murasame still standing.

Murasame grunted but smirked, "My turn." throwing the sickle at Ikaruga, who used Hien to entangle his chained weapon. _When will you learn, Murasame? _Suddenly, Ikaruga took a blow to the lower jaw from the iron weight end of the Kusarigama. As Ikaruga lost her balance, Murasame then tugged hard on the tangled sickle, forcing his sister to drop her blade.

Ikaruga fell on her rear, to which Murasame quickly followed up, binding Ikaruga's left leg with the weighted end of the chain. Falling on her back, Ikaruga felt the hard wood against her body as Murasame reeled her in. Regaining composure, the Hanzo ninja grabbed Hien as she was dragged closer, swinging at Murasame and forcing him to let her go as he blocked her blade with his sickle. Ikaruga got up, pushing her brother into a blade lock as he used both hands on the sickle end.

"Didn't expect that, did you, little sister?!" Ikaruga remained silent, "Do you remember the whispers of them all? Family… immediate, intermediate, extended. All whispering behind my back their concerns for the family business that Mr. Houou's son couldn't carry on the legacy. That he was too weak, that he could have been trained harder. Of course, you wouldn't. Once father brought you on the scene, they all rejoiced. Praising little Ikaruga who would be the savior the family business!"

Noticing his other hand had slid down the chain and began swinging the weighted end, Ikaruga yelled, shoving Murasame backwards. "No matter what they said, I never wanted this to happen, Murasame!" Ikaruga dashed forward but leapt backwards as Murasame swung the full Kusarigama in a wide arc. "You might not have been the best shinobi, but unlike them I NEVER THOUGHT YOU WERE INCOMPETENT! LET THAT SINK IN!" Conflicted tears of rage leaked from Ikaruga as she performed a ducking slide under Murasame's spinning chain, elbowing him in the stomach.

Murasame just barely blocked her strikes with his chain as Ikaruga pushed him back slowly, not giving him room to go on the offensive. Suddenly her strike was parried as a dark green turtle with glowing blue eyes appeared in front of Murasame, it's shell acting like a shield. "A turtle?!" The moment she recoiled, Murasame retracted his sickle end, slashing Ikaruga across the side before striking her right knee with the weighted end. Ikaruga fell down, yelping in pain, holding her side.

"That's right, sister. I even found my animal guardian. I was hoping to save Kamera here for a last resort, but it's good to see you've kept up your training." Murasame scratched under the turtle's chin as it made a happy cat-like smile :3 "If you had gotten too rusty, I couldn't show you how strong I've become."

"You've become stronger for sure. But you still have growing to do." Using her sword, Ikaruga forced herself to one knee, "shinobi transformation." A gleaming light engulfed Ikaruga's rack and nether regions as her outfit was stripped from her. Her wounds somewhat healing as her regal shinobi attire donned upon her.

"Hmph. Still not convinced, sister?! Fine! I'll show you what I'm made of!" But just as Murasame was finishing, Ikaruga dashed around him, disorienting him and making his head spin. Before he could react, she dashed past him once more, unleashing her first ninja art, knocking Murasame into the air before a giant flurry of slicing blue energy waves pummeled him. Barely leaving him in boxers and tearing up his sleeves, exposing his body, more muscular and tattoo-ridden than last Ikaruga knew. A couple of scars across his back and one on his upper arm, tattoos of Cherry Blossoms formed a raging current on his back as a turtle swam through them.

All scratched up and bleeding in some spots, Murasame struggled to his feet. "Ya know something the former Oyabun taught us all? That the one who wins is not the one who the loses. But how many times you can get back up from losing. Well I've spent my time for so long at the bottom of the roster. No longer will I trip over myself as the joke character!"

"Joke character?" Kenshi raised an eyebrow. Ikaruga's eyes trembled halfway between proud at Murasame's resolve and saddened by what drove him to that point.

Murasame shinobi transformed into his open, white shirt and long, matching pants and largely healing his own wounds. "Now the real battle begins." He said.

Ikaruga closed her eyes momentarily as a blue flame lit up her blade. "Come to me, Hien! Oukaensen!"

"Secret Ninja Art, Tough Shell... Kamera! Lend me your strength!" Murasame gained a similar blue glow in his eyes to his turtle as Ikaruga's blue phoenix charged straight forward. "Hien. COME ON YA STUPID BIRD! AAUGH!"

Murasame took the full blast from the phoenix, getting knocked back against the wall and tearing up his outfit once again. Ikaruga gasped as he got back up, however, resisting a solid portion of the phoenix's attack. Murasame slowly lumbered towards his sister, eyes still beaming a bright blue glow, "You've never seen anything like this, have you, sister? Defensive ninja arts are a forgotten treasure."

"Perhaps. But now you've left yourself open!" Ikaruga rushed Murasame and the two began to clash and parry, Ikaruga managing to land more hits, as Murasame's defensive trade-off significantly hindered his movement. Once the effect wore off, Ikaruga kicked Murasame backwards before leaping into the air, aiming for a follow-up attack as he regained balance.

Underestimating his reflexes, a sudden chain restrained Ikaruga's arms around her sides, squeezing her into a bind. "Secret Ninja Art, Hook Combo!" Ikaruga found herself rushing towards her brother only to have the breath knocked out of her as his knee dug into her stomach. Striking her in the back of the head with a hand, Murasame yanked on the chain, spinning Ikaruga out just in time to send her flying with a body shove. Ikaruga dropped Hien as she rolled over several times, now barely conscious.

Now panting, his muscles starting to as he took a few steps forward, Murasame began to swing the weighted end of his Kusarigama when Kenshi stood up, raising his right hand. "That's enough. This match is over."

Murasame walked over slowly, picking up Hien. Ikaruga's body trembled as she caught her breath, struggling to get up. "It is a shame what happened to father. If only he could see me now. I can't imagine how speechless he'd be." Murasame smirked with triumph, running his hand along the side of the blade.

"Impressive display, Murasame." Kenshi walked down from his spot, applauding lightly, "You've become so proficient with a weapon that difficult that honestly, I couldn't imagine you with any other."

"Oh. You… think so, my Oyabun?" Murasame looked slightly confused.

"I do, Murasame. So why don't you give little sister back her sword? You've already got a weapon worthy of a Gokudō shinobi."

"Kenshi, please. This is more than just a weapon. This is my heir. My birthright. The sword of my family who-..."

"Who never gave much of a shit for you in the first place, correct? So tell me, Murasame. Why keep something from someone you know hasn't treated you properly?"

Murasame began to stammer, "B-because, my Oyabun. Er… Kenshi my brother. Have we not been over this a thousand times that it is a highly personal-..."

"Just KEEP IT ALREADY!" looking over with a start, Murasame and Kenshi saw Ikaruga sitting on her heels. Her head dropped, not letting them see her eyes. "If that's all that matters to you then you haven't grown at all, so just take it! I don't even want it anymore!" Droplets hit the ground where Ikaruga sat as she sobbed softly.

Murasame's mouth gaped, dumbfounded and speechless. "S… sister?"

"SHUT UP! I don't care if you lock me up again, just you and that stupid sword get out of my sight!" Ikaruga refused to look at Murasame as she pulled herself to her feet.

Kenshi lightly patted her shoulder to which she started walking back out with him. "Murasame… family isn't always bound in blood." Kenshi called out before he and Ikaruga left Murasame in silence.


	24. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 23

Chapter 23: The Boys of Gokudō Part 2

Komichi, wearing his black suit Shinobi outfit, stopped by his room once arriving at Gokudō Academy HQ. "What a little brat. He was supposed to wait for me." Komichi sighed before sitting on a lower bunk of a bed, pulling out a suitcase. Flicking his black cape over his right shoulder, he pulled out a binder and began to go through several pictures, organizing them into bunches before paperclipping them to corresponding written documents, which he read out loud.

"Hmm… creatures encountered were various in shapes and sizes including odd jelly dogs, mutated plants, what can best be described as pixel bugs, and a possessed NEET with a bad case of obesity (and possibly a lack of hygiene). We wouldn't have believed it ourselves if we hadn't snapped the pictures. Even now I doubt what I am looking at in this photo, but I am very certain that this is what we fought." Komichi then nodded to himself, not wanting to waste too much time before moving to the next.

"The following are to be considered suspects for the time being as they seemingly possess knowledge of these other-worldly creatures. Subject 1: Tekken. possibly a shinobi. A martial artist with elemental powers… Subject 2: Puchiko. Potential alien with eye lasers. Perceived age around 5-8… Subject 3: Neptune. Seems airheaded at first but knows her way around a fight, full potential suspected of being hidden."

Komichi removed his sunglasses as he looked forward, putting Neptune's pictures away with the documents. His eyes peering at a set of iron claws, a fancy, Japanese pen, and a flowered hairpin, which hung in a walled display case. "Full potential."

* * *

_**Flashback**_

A younger Komichi sat back as he watched a young student grip the pair of claws, slicing up training dummies as she dashed across the field. Komichi applauded. "Very good, Homura. Now time to move to the Wolverine Style." Komichi watched the student gasp before laughing. "Just kidding. I wouldn't make you jump onto a form so impractical when even I couldn't bother to-..."

"But I wanna learn the Six-Clawed Form, sensei!" Komichi looked at her in surprise. "I don't care if only three shinobi in history have mastered it, I swear by Amaterasu that I will be the fourth!" _Heh. She's got a lot of fire.  
_Komichi walked forward, smiling. "Then you best start practicing. Remember, just like life itself, change only occurs with consistency over time. Only then can one truly bloom." to which she smiled ecstatically.

It was later when Komichi returned to his secret ninja school that the noose began to tighten, meeting with his superiors in a small conference room. "It doesn't matter if they're good or evil. Renegade or independent. We need you to find out if they are indeed the family we've been looking for. And if they are… You know what must be done."

"But Homura's a good girl! Why should she be held responsible for the crimes of her clan?!" Komichi protested.

"A cub today will be a bear tomorrow. Don't want that to come back to bite us. Besides, for what they've done, their entire line must end." Komichi's superior spoke plainly.

"But she's just a kid! She's not even sure she wants to be a shinobi! I've talked with her!"

Komichi's superior looked him dead in the eyes. "She is just a means to an end. You must detach yourself, Komichi. Personal feelings have no place in shinobi life. Especially missions like these. Are we clear?" Komichi looked down, nodding in silence.

As time went on, Komichi tried to find evidence that his student wasn't from the clan they were looking for, ignoring counter-evidence otherwise and stalling for time as he unintentionally deepened his bond with her, unaware of the hole he was digging.

Upon hearing the words he dreaded from her, Komichi reluctantly reported it to his school, who told him to follow up immediately. "Detach your feelings… she's just a means to an end. Detach your feelings, she's just a means to an end." Komichi repeated to himself. The walk that day to the usual classroom felt extra heavy as though he was walking into a minefield he could not escape from.

After the initial incident, Komichi blacked out, waking up in a hospital bed to see his superiors in the visitor's chairs. After telling them what happened, the main boss leaned back in his seat. "Im impressed, Komichi. In all my years, I have never seen assassination executed so pathetically and sloppily."

Another superior held out a piece of paper with a fancy, traditional pen. "This here's an official document for your expulsion. Normally we'd take it before the council but since your credentials would cause issues, consider this a silent withdrawal."

Komichi squinted at the document. "Wh-what!? My sister too?!" Komichi's breath heightened as they told him they couldn't afford to take risks. "But… it's our home."

"Letting a student-teacher who gets beaten by a kid back in would tarnish our reputation. Or anyone associated with them for that matter. Surely you understand." The other superior replied.

"Sirs, please. At least let me see it one last time."

The main boss got up, closing in on Komichi's face. "Sure, go ahead. Go see the academy one last time. It's the last thing you will ever see again. How does that sound, Komichi?" Komichi looked away in silence, "that's what I thought."

As the superiors walked out, the one who gave him the document said, "Oh, and keep the pen. A little something to remember us bye, eh?"

Despite their best efforts, Komichi the Fool (or Baka Komichi for you weebs out there) became a running joke in the shinobi world. Years passed, Komichi and his sister, Tsumuji, barely got by in the slums. But while depression struck Komichi to let himself go in ragged clothes and untamed hair, Tsumuji grew more restless by the day.

"Damn that Homura! Bet she thinks she's hot stuff because of that incident! Witch charming my brother into letting his guard down was what happened!"

"Just… let it go, Tsumuji." Komichi turned, cooking lunch for the two of them on a worn-down stove.

"Excuse me!? You want me to let this go when they will not!? Now they're making shinobi sitcom plays about Komichi the Fool! I can't take it anymore!" Before Komichi could reply Tsumuji cut him off. "AND YOU! Why do you just sit here, wasting yourself away as the rest of the shinobi world makes a laughingstock of the guy who couldn't help it at the time!? It's not like failing a mission is unheard of in the shinobi world! We're going to kill that Homura and bring her head to the school and clear our family name!"

Komichi stopped in silence for a moment. "Tsumuji… I can't…"

"Ugh. Don't tell me you still have feelings for that bitch!"

"Feelings that will haunt me for eternity. She never deserved what happened."

"You're pathetic. I'm going to hunt her down and kill her! With or without you! I've been training for this day and now's the time to act. Last I heard, she attended an all-girls school called Hebijo." Tsumuji grabbed her bags.

"Tsumuji! Stop it! Homura did nothing wrong! Nothing good will come of this!" Komichi objected, but his sister stormed out.

"Talk to me again when you grow a pair and actually do something with your life, brother."

Nearly a year in passing and Komichi continued a life in the slums when a Hebijo grunt paid him a visit. Suspicious at first, Komichi asked what she wanted before two more grunts walked in, carrying a long figure wrapped in cloth. The shinobi handed him Tsumuji's flowered hairpin as Komichi walked up slowly, unveiling the face to see his sister. Komichi's face grew pale as he fell to his knees, squeezing the hairpin. Komichi weakly cried out her name, touching her cold hands, before screaming out loud into bawling tears. "TSUMUJIIII!"

* * *

_**Present**_

Komichi let out a yell, punching an indent into the wall. "Peepholes belong in doors, Komichi. Not the wall." Came the voice of Murasame. "I've always wondered, why do you keep that stuff when it only brings back painful memories? You know the boss's motto. Look ahead to the future, never look back."

Komichi leaned back into a green fold up chair. "Heh. Aren't you one to talk, Mr. Hien is my birthright-... Ah." Komichi stopped as Murasame held out the sword he had so long spoken of. "Is that…"

"Aye. Hien, after all this time. Although I'm… not really sure how to feel about it." Komichi continued to ask him about it, "After finally defeating my sister, I felt so alive but afterwards I… well, I don't know." Murasame unsheathed the sword, running his hand against it as he gave it a long glance. "But still, I finally triumphed. The Houou family heirloom is right where it belongs."

"I'm glad for you, Murasame." Komichi gave a short grin. "But what will you do now?"

"I'll go back! Prove to them how WRONG they were and then… then…" Murasame stopped as silence filled the room. His gaze returning back to the phoenix blade.

"You aren't planning on leaving Gokudō, are you?" Komichi asked.

"That's just it… my whole life I wanted to become a shinobi. For my family honor and for the glory. And yet… all I lead was an angry, unsatisfied life. Comfy, but unsatisfying. I wanted to prove myself so much to be a good shinobi. But I have grown more in these few years I've been here than I ever have in the hate-filled pit that was my life. I can't leave Gokudō. I don't want to."

"It wouldn't be the same without you, Same. Besides, who's gonna give Suraku his exercise by chasing him all over Kobe?" Komichi chuckled, Murasame doing the same.

"I just… have been so focused on becoming stronger and proving them all wrong that I'm… at a loss now." Sitting down in other fold-up chair in the room, Murasame held the sword close, a sense of empty uncertainty surrounding it as echoes of the old, unfulfilling life were the only thing that resonated.

"Then maybe it's time to let go. You're a great guy, Same. And you should let go now while you still have a chance." As Murasame asked what he meant, Komichi slowly walked towards the items in the display case. "To answer your question from earlier, I keep these things to remind myself of the fool I once was… and to drive myself to become a better man tomorrow. These claws, the pen, this lotus hairpin are all scars. And some scars never heal. I can't let go."

"That's bullshit." Murasame's response shocked Komichi, "Just look at all you've done for those around you. The community, Gokudō Academy, all of us. You don't let your past, no matter how fucked up, hold you back from the Gokudō way! Because regardless of your loss, your true family is here."

"As is yours, Murasame. I guess the question to ask yourself is what that sword does for you now that you have it?"

"I would ask the same of you. What are those old accessories accomplishing? And don't give me that 'helps drive me' bullshit either. As your roommate, I know you too well to say you have not come so far on a couple of old objects alone!" Murasame frowned, slightly irritated.

"Perhaps we've both got some thinking to do, then." Komichi's composed voice drew to silence as he got up from his chair, grabbing the suitcase with the reports in it and walking out, saying not a word, only running his hand against the display case that held the claws, the hairpin, and the pen.

* * *

The back alleys of Kobe's pleasure districts remained empty and quiet, only briefly shattered by the thundering footsteps of several suited thugs who ran down the alley, knocking over a trash can as they turned the corner into a dead end. "What!? Where'd that little shit go!?" One of the thugs exclaimed when suddenly two out of the four of them got doused with water, the third only partially splashed.

Hanging above the fire escape of a nearby building, a blue-haired youth held his stomach in laughter as he dropped a dripping metal bucket beside him. One thug swung his fist in the air. "You got a lot of nerve, little punk. I don't think you know who you're messing with!"

The boy stood up, leaning against the escape ladder, letting the thugs see his baggy jeans and the orange jacket around a black shirt that read 不慮. The sun gleamed off of the boy's goggles as he pulled his slick, spiky, sky blue hair back, showing off an armband on his jacket, which had a Koi fish and an Asian dragon forming the shape of a diamond. "Hey. That's my line, ya freeloading chumps."

"First they send us weak punks and now a kid after us? Gokudō's grown weak." One thug laughed.

"I'll make you regret that comment, you wannabes. For I am Suraku! One Gokudō Academy's elites!"

The thugs began laughing. "Please. _**The **_Suraku?!"

"Ya got a big mouth on ya for a little punk. Lemme tell ya something." He began to load a pistol, "in our world, confidence like that gets ya killed."

Suraku smirked, dashing down the side of the building and zipping past the thugs and performing a running wall-jump, activating his phone taser and forcing the thug to drop his gun. The other three thugs, their clothes still soaking, rushed at the boy. "Secret Ninja Art… Sonic Volt!" His little body pulsating with an electric current, Suraku dashed wildly in an unorthodox manner as though he were a ball in a pinball machine.

Their bodies flailed, the lightning cartoonishly revealing their skeletons before dropping to the floor, sparks flashing from them. The dry thug, seeing his comrades knocked out so fast, struggled to his knees, reaching for his gun but Suraku picked it up first, "I'll take that. A present for the boss."

"You little… so that water wasn't just a prank." The thug grunted.

"Ha. _Shocking_, that you actually figured it out. I've sprouted gray hairs waitin for ya." Suraku smirked, "We know you been extorting the Nishitaki Host Club. Well we got news for you punks. That's our client. Our turf. So consider this a warning. Cause next time I'll use my full strength."

"I hate your smug little prick face!"

"One more thing." Suraku walked forward, delivering a hook kick across the thug's face, "don't EVER call me a kid again!" Taking out a skateboard, Suraku rode out of the alley in style, skating down the streets before reaching Gokudō Academy and entering through the secret passage.

As he entered, Suraku was greeted by a couple of his friends. Most of whom were Gokudō grunts. "Job's done." He said, showing off his loot. Suraku was proud of his status as his friends gathered around him, nerding out over things like technology, weapons, and overall shit-talking.

But not all were impressed at Suraku's performance. One of the older shinobi scoffed, "Be nice if he'd have told somebody instead of showing off all the time."

"And here I thought you were trying to take your diet with less salt, Majimi. If I recall correctly you already had your chance and flew past it like a Chinese driver." Suraku folded his arms.

The higher shinobi sat up in his chair, "With such a loose cannon as a shinobi, I'm surprised, Suraku, that Oyabun Yamauchi hasn't asked for your tongue, let alone your pinky." A couple of his shinobi friends chuckled.

"And with your recent performances, I'm surprised Kenshi hasn't asked for your head, but I suppose it'd be rude to give the boss somethin' empty." Suraku smirked as the room erupted into 'oohs' and laughter, the few higher-class shinobi sending dirty glares Suraku's way.

"I don't know how a little brat like you climbed your way to the top, but mark my words, if you weren't above me I'd sure as hell love to…" the irritated shinobi began to choke on his words.

"Toooooooo?" Suraku continued smirking into the older classmate's eyes when a slightly tanned, red-haired youth came down the hall, the other shinobi giving him a slight bow.

"Welcome back, Suraku." Suzuki then sighed, "Are you already giving your fellow students a hard time?"

"Eh." Suraku shrugged. De-escalating the situation, Suzuki encouraged the other shinobi before walking back with Suraku.

"Jeez, bro. Why ya gotta go doin that? You don't wanna make enemies out of family members."

"Nah, it's funny! Besides, they're older, they SHOULD be better than me, but they aren't. So it's their fault." Suraku folded his arms.

"We all have different learning capabilities, Suraku. And we all had to start somewhere. Even you." Suzuki noticed a scowl forming from puffed cheeks as Suraku began tapping around on his phone. Walking into the locker room, Suzuki tried to change the subject, not wanting to push any wrong buttons. "Weren't you supposed to return with Komichi?"

"I can't help if the old man's too slow."

"Ouch." Suzuki sweatdropped, smiling awkwardly, "you're just the same as ever, Saruku."

"That's what they always said." Suraku's voice dropped a few tones as he sat down on one of the benches. "'why can't you be more like this sister or that brother?' or 'stop being such a hikkikomori' or 'you'll never change', 'get your head out of your phone'... Now look at me and TELL ME I'M THE SAME AGAIN, I DARE YA!"

"Whoa bro! I didn't mean it like that." Suzuki nearly took a step back, his eyes widening in surprise.

Suraku looked over at Suzuki, his eyes filling with embarrassment, "I'm sorry. I know you didn't." Suzuki sat beside his friend. "I just wish I had a sister like yours. Someone who loved you for you despite your flaws and who might still be waiting for you, ya know?"

Suzuki nodded, "And your family was much bigger than mine. You would think at least a few of them would be more sympathetic."

"Tch, not when you've all been serving this country since the Sengoku Era. Your entire family, all active shinobi. I had one chance to dig myself out of that stupid hole I was in… and the only sibling who even remotely cared took it from me!" Suraku's tone flared up.

"You're sounding a lot like Murasame." Suzuki sighed sympathetically.

"Yeah, but unlike him, a sword can be retrieved. What she took from me can never be recovered." Suraku then looked over at Suzuki directly. "Would my eyes… look good with Kagan? And don't say 'I think they look fine just the way they are'!"

"Aw, but it's true, bro." Suzuki grinned.

"Just answer the question and quit evading."

"Alright, buddy." Suzuki smiled with a sweatdrop, "My truthfully honest answer is that I really don't know. Because whether you have Kagan or not, it wouldn't change how we think about you. You'd still be our friend and brother."

"Aw please." Suraku smirked, "If I had Kagan, you'd all be bowing down to me as the new Oyabun of Gokudō. And I'd have Kenshi cough up the secret location of his chocolate-strawberry panda cookies."

"Iii guess you could say that would be pretty… SHOCKING!" Suzuki flicked his fingers off Suraku's shoulders, causing him to shriek.

"AGH! Why you!" Suraku punched Suzuki in the stomach to which the latter shoved back, the two boys roughhousing until Suzuki caught Suraku in a chokehold, giving him a noogie. "Okay, okay! You win, bro!"

Suzuki chuckled, pinching Suraku's irritated, puffed cheek. "Aw, you're a cute little brother."

"Am not…" Suraku mumbled through his cheeks till he could hold back no more, bursting into laughter with Suzuki sharing in the moment.

* * *

Kenshi Yamauchi paced back and forth in his office, holding a small, wooden picture frame of a muscular, dark-golden haired man with a slender, blue-haired woman. The two facing profile to one another with their arms around each other. Slowly, Kenshi's eyes drew to a picture around the wall, which showed him alongside the other four Gokudō elites, "Forgive me what I'm about to do."

A sudden crashing noise could be heard from the first floor when a couple of shinobi grunts rushed into his room. "S-sir! The Hanzo girls!... They're…"

"Attacking?... Yes, this was expected. So _**why then **_did you not intercept them until they were right in our domain!?" Kenshi glared at the shinobi grunts, a slight whimper escaping from them as they bowed.

"Forgive us, sir! We knew there would be four Hanzo girls coming but there were 5 of them!"

"WHAT!?" Kenshi turned suddenly.

"We didn't want a repeat of the civilian false target incident and our order for the office department wasn't here yet! Please forgive us, sir!" The grunts continued bowing.

"Get out there now and defend your home or the entire school is losing pinkies!" Kenshi growled, the grunts quickly dashing out. The moment they left, Kenshi looked down at the picture of the young couple once more, "Hinata… you will be avenged."


	25. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 24

Chapter 24: The Mysterious Sphere

A tornado of leaves spiraled upwards as the silhouette of a giant robot landed in the setting sun of the nearby forest. "We are a bit far from your destination, are we not?" CFW Brave asked.

"Don't worry about it. Homura and Hikage are fast. Besides, people aren't used to seeing… well… marvels like you." Mirai replied.

Haruka nodded. "We'd get all of Hebijo coming to greet us if we brought a giant robot to the front gate. And we don't have time for trouble."

"I see. I did not think I was so intimidating." Brave's tone had essence of disappointment.

"Don't feel bad, big guy. People just aren't used to you yet, right Yomi?... Yomi?" Homura then looked over to see Yomi shivering and stuttering.

"Flying... Is… for birds… should… not be flying…" Yomi's dizzy eyes swirled, her face blue and her teeth chattering.

Homura sighed, "Some things never change. Anyways, this shouldn't take long. Even shorter if Miyabi doesn't cooperate. Let's go, Hikage." Brave leaned his arm down to the ground, allowing Hikage and Homura to slide down easy.

"P-p-please. Let me down too!" Yomi pleaded, Mirai and Haruka sighing.

* * *

As the two walked through the woods, Homura struck up a conversation. "Something's bugging me, Hikage. It's why that Gokudō grunt's message asked for you specifically. Are you sure you've never heard of Gokudō Academy before?"

Hikage shook her head, "Nuh-uh. I dunno a thing till recently. Even if I did, you know how forgetful I am, Homura." Homura nodded, giving her concurrence, but Hikage changed the subject, "Homura… do you think I'm getting better at these emotion things? Haruka seems to think I am, but I'm not so sure."

"Well if you want my honest opinion, not a whole lot has changed. But it's nice seeing you smile and react more lately. It's no stand-up comedy but it's charming." Homura grinned.

"Ooohh? Is that why you guys randomly bust out laughing? Cause I'm making faces?"

"Yeah, they're great!"

Hikage let a slight, melancholy frown slip. "But… doesn't that mean I'm being laughed at?"

"Eh? Not at all!" Homura laughed, "that just means we're happy that you're showing it more. See? Even now you show it. Let's turn dat fwown upside down." Homura grinned widely, her fingers pushing the end of Hikage's lips upward, to which she squinted her eyes and wiggled her lips.

"Homuraaa…" Hikage whined.

"Hehe. Maybe Haruka's right. Regardless, you'll always be our Hikage." Homura put her arm around Hikage, a slight grin forming on the latter's lips as she felt a minor warmth envelope her.

As the two approached the gate, they were met by four shinobi grunts and a fifth, taller and more toned girl whom spoke to them. "Homura… Hikage. what brings you here?"

"Heya Naori. Been a while." Homura greeted. "Last I remember, you challenged me when you were still just a Genin. The others then thought you'd become a shinobi stripper."

The girl gave a low grunt, "Training here has made me stronger since then. And that was a long time ago, Homura."

"Good to hear you're moving up the ranks." Homura said, "But we're here on business. We need to see Master Suzune."

"Master Suzune is not in today. And due to an incident, Hebijo grounds are closed until further notice, meaning the elites are unavailable too." Naori replied.

"Oh? What happened?" Hikage asked.

"I'm afraid that's highly classified. Even to former Hebijo students."

"Can you at least tell us where Suzune Sensei went?" Homura asked

"Again, that's classified!" Naori raised her voice a tone before looking at the other grunts. "I'll handle this."

Walking forward, Naori put her hands on the girls' shoulders, walking them around the gate before hushing her tone. "Hebijo is in the middle of a controversy. Rumor has it that Murasaki killed some civilians. And since she's gone full hikikomori and the other elites haven't come forward with anything, a rift has been slowly forming amongst the students. As for Master Suzune, she went out yesterday on some kind of reconnaissance mission and hasn't come back. Last I knew, she was headed toward the eastern edge of Orochi Woods." Naori raised her voice enough that some of the on-duty shinobi might hear them, "Now begone with you!"

"Thanks, Naori." Homura replied, the two turning to leave as the higher Hebijo shinobi nodded.

* * *

By the time Homura and Hikage returned to the others, the sun had just gone down as a blue evening sky painted the horizon. After relaying the message, they took off across the sky upon Brave's back, to which Yomi began screaming and whimpering. "Come on, Yomi. It's not that bad." Homura tried easing her friend's nerves.

"Just tell me when it's over!" Yomi yelped, keeping her eyes shut.

"Over there!" Mirai pointed to an area of the woods where flashes of light could be seen.

"A battle, it seems. I hope your friend Suzune is alright." Brave said, proceeding to land.

"Oh, don't underestimate our Master Suzune. She's probably kicking ass as we… speak?!" Haruka's voice heightened, the girls seeing Rin flying back as she barely blocked a powerful attack.

"Huh?! Master Suzune?!" Yomi opened her eyes, the girls jumping off of Brave beside their teacher.

"Stay back, girls! This one's powerful." Rin shouted.

The girls looked ahead, seeing in the moonlight a woman with an odd, gothic witch-like attire and pointy ears, now speaking to Brave. "Look who decided to show up. Just what is going on, CFW Brave?"

"Brave? You know her?" Yomi asked.

Brave turned to the Crimson Squad. "Yomi, Haruka, Mirai, Homura, Hikage. This is my ally in the Sages Syndicate; Arfoire."

"Well aren't you the friendly one under all that armor. Surprised you haven't befriended the whole country by now." Arfoire said dryly.

"If you're a friend then why are you attacking Master Suzune?" Hikage folded her arms, sending a low glare at the purple-toned villain.

"Your 'master' has something that belongs to me. And refuses to give it back." Arfoire replied.

"Your inconsistent words and actions have proven to me that you are nothing but a thief." Rin said.

"Hmph. Look who's talking. I'll give you one last chance. Return the Maker Sphere or my colleague Brave and I will turn you into dust!"

"Maker Sphere… So that's what it really is. I must say, Miss Arfoire, our battle has proven most enlightening. Might you tell me more about this Maker Sphere?" Rin asked.

Arfoire's eyes shot open, a scowl revealing gritted teeth, "How dare you mock me! Brave, let us destroy these insufferable fools!"

"Sir Brave, you can't!" Yomi called out.

"Wait, Lady Arfoire. Let me try and reason with them." Brave then turned to Rin. "Miss Suzune, I presume. Did you or did you not sneakily or forcibly take the Maker Sphere off of Lady Arfoire?"

"In all honesty, no. I found it on the ground and she came along shortly after. She called it a medallion, then a Sphere, and then threatened me when asked a simple question. Isn't that right, ma'am?" Rin's tone drew forth a growl from Arfoire.

"Regardless, CFW Brave owes the Sages Syndicate Alliance his life. So… Let us begin. CFW Brave?" Arfoire looked up at the robot, spinning her lance in hand.

"Sir Brave? Is it true?" Mirai asked, worry sprawling over her face.

"Aye. I owe my loyalty to the Sages Syndicate Alliance." Brave stated.

"So will you be fighting against us now?" Homura folded her arms.

"I do not wish to fight you, Crimson Girls. But I am afraid that I have no choice." Brave replied.

"But why all the conflict over a worn-out gizmo? What does it do?" Haruka asked.

"I… what does it even do, Lady Arfoire?" Brave asked, to which she replied that it was highly classified.

"Seems a lot of things are these days." Homura added.

"So then, why fight for something that you not only is being withheld from you but you don't even know what it does?" Haruka questioned.

"He will find out when the time is right." Arfoire said. But her answer didn't stop Brave from looking away at the ground.

Just then, Mirai's disappointed voice made him look up. "That's disappointing. You seemed like a good fellow, Brave. I wish… that we'd met under different circumstances."

Suddenly something struck in Brave's programming, images of a girl with white, drilled pigtails and a black skin suit, who floated up to him after he'd been shot. "To do something so dishonest. That isn't the Uni I know." Brave responded as his circuits began shutting down.

"I'm sorry, Brave. But it's because I don't wanna fight you that I had to… I hope one day you'll understand." The girl said, running a hand across his large, metallic face. "And one day… I hope we meet under different circumstances."

The images flashing with static, Brave began holding his head. "Sir Brave, are you okay?" Yomi asked.

Errors began going off in Brave's head, his circuitry beginning to heat up. Brave turned to Arfoire, "Lady Arfoire… I owe the Sages Syndicate my loyalty. However, I also owe these girls a favor for helping me out in time of chaos. And assuming Miss Suzune is to be believed, I can help neither side in this confrontation."

"What now?!" Arfoire raised an eyebrow.

"So you're just quitting?!" Homura's voice raised, her eyes widening.

"Choosing one oath to another does not compute. Miss Mirai's words are too reminiscent of Black Sister. I cannot function properly!" Brave then ran off into the woods.

"Get back here!" Arfoire shouted. "Just what did you broads do to CFW Brave?!"

"We didn't do nothing. Just became his friend." Hikage replied.

"Ugh. Whatever. But why don't we make this interesting?" Arfoire pointed to Rin, "You're their master, yes? So why not send two of your strongest students to face me? If they win, I'll let you keep that stupid sphere."

"You expect me to subject my students to a monster?" Rin replied.

"Hmph. Where's all that confidence you had earlier?" Arfoire smirked.

"S-Suzune Sensei!?" Homura's mouth gaped, seemingly offended.

"She's too dangerous, Homura! She even gave me some trouble. I can't put you through what I put Kiriya through because unlike me, you might not come back from it!" Rin placed a hand on Homura's shoulder, her face strewn with concern.

"Come on, Sensei. We've grown stronger since then. Even beat you once, remember?" Homura smiled.

"H-hey! Don't let that go to your head. I was just distracted that day!" A flustered, light blush rose to Suzune's cheeks.

"Thinking of Kiriya, no doubt." Haruka added in a teasing tone.

"Aw, you never told us how your date went, Master Suzune." Yomi grinned.

"It was great. We finally got caught up on so much." Rin began blissfully going off to them about her time with Kiriya.

"Um… hello?" Arfoire gave off a confused look, but Rin took no notice as she continued her story.

"The moment our hands touched, it took everything I could not to scream like a high schooler…" Rin stuck her hands on her face.

"Hey! We're not finished here." Arfoire folded her arms, growing increasingly aggravated.

"And then what happened, Master Suzune?" Hikage smiled.

"I finally got him to let me feed him fried unagi while he fed me Takoyaki!" Rin squealed.

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" Arfoire shouted, much to the Crimson Squad and Suzune's surprise.

"Yikes! The old lady's about to pop a vein!" Mirai commented.

"Why so angry?" Hikage asked, "You know, a nice dip in an onsen will ease your nerves and keep your skin from getting too many wrinkles."

"You continue to mock me!? And how DARE you call me an 'old lady'! I will not be ignored!" Arfoire's pupils shrunk in rage.

"Hm. I almost pity you. I know the feeling all too well." Mirai folded her arms.

Rin sighed, "if you really insist, then alright Homura. But know that if I think it's beginning to go south, I will interfere."

"Heh. Won't need to. Now, let's take a vote!" Homura exclaimed. Ultimately Rin and the rest of the Crimson Squad chose Homura and Haruka to represent them.

"Are… you sure about this?" Haruka was taken aback, "Hikage's much faster and Mirai's a deadly shot."

"Now's not the time to doubt yourself, Haruka. Many shinobi fear your fighting style and tenacity! You'll be fine." Yomi called out.

"Well… yes, but this is no shinobi." Haruka replied.

"Come on, girl. That's not the Haruka I know. We're gonna knock this crazy down together." Homura reassured. "Can't wait to see what kinda concoctions you pull on this hag."

Haruka let a slight grin slip through her worry. "I suppose we all haven't been ourselves with all that's been happening lately. But I try my best to keep it together." Reassuring her once more, Homura patted Haruka on the shoulder before the two walked forward. Yomi and Mirai would then leave momentarily to go find Brave.

"So, you are this woman's strongest students, then. I do hope you don't make this too easy." Arfoire smirked. The moment Rin said 'begin', Homura let loose of flurry of blazing slashes as she forced Arfoire on the defensive with Haruka backing her up. Arfoire swung her lance like helicopter blades, blocking and parrying every strike with surprisingly athletic grace. As one set of blades got knocked away, a robotic chainsaw met the lance, but would soon get bashed backward only to then focus on the crimson claws again.

After a while, she knocked Homura backwards, the two Crimson girls spreading out a little bit around Arfoire, who smirked. "Are we finished with warm-ups yet? I'm beginning to get impatient."

Homura nodded over towards a tree before grunting to Haruka. Homura charged in again at Arfoire who parried for a moment before managing to grab ahold of Homura's arms as her blades were locked against the lance awkwardly. Arfoire backflipped Homura, throwing her off before seeing some colorful liquid vials flying her way. Clouds of red, green, and purple erupted where Arfoire once stood. But no sooner had she jumped back when Haruka leapt through the clouds where her robot's chainsaw once more met Arfoire's blade.

Homura, now rushing towards Arfoire, noticed a sinister black pool forming on the ground just beside the witch. Making a reverse jump just in time, dark, aethereal, spikes shot up from the pool of darkness, Homura just barely escaped impalement as she was knocked onto her butt.

Hikage thought she heard a gasp come from Rin, looking over to see a fisted palm resting over her old teacher's mouth. "Suzune Sensei? Are you… worried?"

Rin took a step closer, gently grabbing Hikage by the arm while still keeping her eyes on the fight. "Yes, Hikage. Very much so."

"Homura!" Haruka called out when Arfoire gave her a hard kick to the gut. A short cry escaped Haruka's mouth as she was knocked down.

Arfoire laughed in a dramatic, near witch-like manner. "Maybe you should worry about yourself more instead of gawking like some kind of heroic protagoni-…" before Arfoire could finish, Haruka threw a green vial at her face, but ended up shattering onto her arm. Arfoire roared in pain, gripping her arm as smoke rose from where she'd been burned. "Not bad."

"Give up! You're no match!" Homura said, now back on her feet, pointing three blades at Arfoire.

"Heh. Like I said, I'm only getting warmed up. Now, how about we make things interesting?" Lifting one arm, a red aura alit from Arfoire's shaking hand, Haruka's robot suddenly rotating it's arms and smacking it's owner in the face.

Homura's concerned voice cried out her friend's name, asking what was going on. Haruka recoiled from the strike with a grunt, "I… I don't know. I've lost control of my puppet!" looking forward at Arfoire's hand, a chilling fear crawled up Haruka's back. "Th-that energy! I've… felt it before."

Arfoire let out a cackle, "Well, this is an interesting turn of events, now isn't it? Let's see how you like a taste of your own medicine!?"

The robot proceeded to grab Haruka by the coat, yanking at it and dropping some of her vials to the ground. "H-hey now! Come on! Don't… don't be such a bad boy. Listen to your mistress, damn it!" Haruka held out her hands, trying to regain control of the robot with swaying hand motions, but to no avail. The robot gave off an eerie, red aura as it attempted to batter it's master. Homura attempted to lunge at Arfoire with a spinning drill rush, but the villain sidestepped, sending dark energy bolts, which proceeded to home in on her.

But as Homura put her all into evasive action, Haruka felt an uneasy dread creep over her as her continued attempts to regain control failed, the robot's aura giving off a familiar sinister air. "C-come on! Why won't you… listen?!" Haruka's voice trembled. Looking to the side where her coat was, she attempted to make a dive for some of her vials. But as she did, her robot swung around, delivering a swift hook to the face, and sending her flying back into a mud puddle, Rin's fist clenching as she watched.

Grunting, Haruka attempted to pick herself up, "Who… who are you? How do you… know such techniques?"

Arfoire cackled once more, "Familiar with it, are you? Perhaps my Dogey has had a run-in with you before."

Haruka's eyes widened, trembling. "Dogey?! N-no, it couldn't." Haruka found herself unable to move, a trembling fear freezing her muscles as flashbacks of dark puppet arts that once had her under spell and unable to move just as now.

"How happy he will be to know that I have finished one of his former foes. Now, die." Arfoire made Haruka's robot raise its chainsaw. An intense sense of helplessness came over Haruka, her breath heightening as the blades of the chainsaw shadowed in the moonlight, her lips barely able to mutter a broken 'no… stop…'

A sudden clang and Homura's blades came in, blocking Haruka's robot from dealing the killing blow. Haruka gasped, as though broken from her trance at her friend's voice, "Haruka! Get up! What the hell were you doing just sitting there!?" Homura shouted, struggling to keep the robot back. Haruka stuttered out a few noises, but the only thing revealed was a shameful frown. "Dammit, Haruka! Say something! Are you okay!?" As Homura held back Haruka's puppet, Arfoire smirked, slowly walking toward Homura from an angle, gripping her lance.

"She's not gonna make it." Rin uttered the words in a hushed, frantic tone. Haruka tried to call out to Homura, but choked on her words, Arfoire getting closer, ready to impale Homura. "NOO!" Rin rushed forward in a dashing black cloud, spinning her Fuuma Shuriken and parrying Arfoire, Haruka's robot falling limply to the ground.

"You! How DARE YOU INTERFERE AND BREAK OUR DEAL!" Arfoire shouted angrily when Rin then held out the Spherical object to her.

"Take it." Rin said, surprising everyone around her. "I cannot risk their lives. So, you may have your sphere."

"Huh. About time you came around." Arfoire took the sphere from Rin's hand. "Since you decided to hand it over, I'll let you off easy. But if I run into you again, I'll remember the headache you gave me over this… and next time I will not be so merciful."

As if on cue, CFW Brave then returned, walking with Yomi and Mirai. "As for you, Sir Oath-a-lot, we still have much to talk about. Just whose side are you on?" Arfoire groaned.

"Lady Arfoire, I still owe my allegiance to the Sages Syndicate. However, I must fulfill the promise I made to these girls. Afterwards, I shall seek you out and rejoin permanently. I give you my word." Brave gave a bow.

"Hmph. Annoying, but consistent at least. Very well, Brave. But know this; if your 'oaths' interfere with Syndicate plans you shall be branded as a traitor." Arfoire then ran off, leaving Brave with the Crimson Squad.

"Master Suzune! Why did you do that?! I saw her coming around." Homura complained.

"The battle was not going in your favor, Homura. I won't risk your lives over some metallic decoration, even if it provides answers for what's going on around here." Rin said. Homura began to protest, insisting they could have won and that they'd gotten out of tougher situations before. Rin took a step forward, "I always admired your fire, Homura. But you must remember not to let it make you arrogant. You have grown stronger, there is no doubt. But you must remember there is always someone stronger."

Homura grunted before turning to Haruka with a shout, "And Haruka! Just what happened!? You had plenty of opportunities to get away. Cowering in fear is not the Haruka I know!"

Haruka's eyes drooped sadly to the ground for a moment. "She… used some kind of puppetry on me too. I couldn't… couldn't move. She mentioned someone named… Dogey."

Yomi snickered, "Dogey!? What kind of person do you have to be to name your child Dogey?!"

"Sounds more like a nickname to me. For a name like Dogen." Mirai commented.

"That can't be right. Either it's a different full name or it has to be a coincidence!" Homura raised her voice. "Dogen's been confirmed dead for good this time! I should know cause I'm the one who did it!"

"If this Dogey she referred to is in fact Dogen, then we should trail that Arfoire woman. Homura, Dogen is not to be underestimated." Rin said.

"Actually sensei, we sought you out because of a mysterious message we got from a Gokudō Academy. Apparently, someone didn't want us getting ahold of that letter as they ended up killing the messenger." Yomi said.

"Gokudō? The name sounds familiar, but nothing's coming to me." Rin scratched her chin, Mirai handing her the letter. "Gokudō Boys Academy? Yes, I do seem to recall a male shinobi school like that based out in Kobe. Still, what could they want with both Hikage and Ikaruga? You say someone killed the Gokudō messenger, and if Dogen's involved with that woman, then we must get that sphere back and…" Rin let out a long sigh.

"I know how you feel, sensei. It's drivin' us up the wall too." Homura said. "But if you had let us finish that round thingy woulda been in our hands and that's one less thing we could have had to worry abo-…"

"That's enough, Homura!" Rin raised her voice with a slight glare. "Do not let your confidence blind you to danger! Lest it cost you much more than your life!... much more." Rin's tone dropped at her last words, as did her eyes.

"Yes… Master Suzune." Homura looked away. "But still, we can't just stand around here. You said this Gokudō was in Kobe, yes?"

As Rin confirmed, Yomi stepped forward. "Then let us go! We must not waste any longer! Who knows what they've done to her."

"Then you must be off. I'm afraid I can't help you any further. I know little about this Gokudō Academy, other than they're mostly boys and they're based in Kobe. So be careful." Rin replied.

"But Suzune Sensei. What about you?" Mirai asked.

"I will trail miss Arfoire and retrieve that sphere."

"All by yourself?! But she's too dangerous!" Haruka exclaimed.

"You seem like an honorable soul, miss Suzune. I would hate to make you an enemy." CFW Brave added in.

"If Dogen's involved, I must get that sphere. If he's after it, it must have value. Or potentially power."

After some back and forth debate, Mirai and Homura opted to go with Rin, while Yomi wanted to save Ikaruga and Hikage was curious why this Gokudō was asking for her. Haruka, who had been largely quiet the whole time, stepped forward. "Homura. You go with Yomi and Hikage. I'll join Master Suzune."

"Are you sure, Haruka? I wouldn't want to subject you to anymore traumatizing-…" Before Rin could finish, Haruka interjected.

"Of course, I am! I'm not afraid!" Haruka blurted, Mirai mumbling a doubtful 'are we now?'. "Sh-shut it! I just want revenge on that purple hag! The humiliation of being put through such manipulation is something I'll make her rue the day for! Besides, since we don't know much about this Gokudō, our rescue party will need our mighty leader at the helm."

"Yes, that does make sense." Rin said, the rest of them agreeing to the split.

"I only ask one request of you, Lady Rin." CFW Brave said. "That you finish your business with the Sages Syndicate before I return. For if you do not, I am afraid I will be unable to stay neutral any longer."

"Understood, Sir Brave. I will do what I can. Just make sure no harm comes to my girls on the way there." Rin replied.

Brave placed a steel hand over his chest, nodding. "You have my word, Lady Suzune."


	26. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Desperate Circumstances

A Gessen nurse or medical shinobi sat working with some equipment at a nearby desk, Shiki being only a short distance away. The nurse then got up, giving Shiki a slight bow before speaking. "They will be okay, miss Shiki. For now, they just need some rest. Though it may take a few days for a full recovery."

As the nurse left, Shiki was left in silence. She looked down at Yozakura and Rom. Their bodies mostly still as they soundly slept, with their breathing and the humming of the fluorescent ceiling bulbs being the only sounds heard. _I like still can't believe any of this is happening. _Shiki shook her head. Folding her arms and losing herself in her thoughts. Thoughts of the creatures they fought, the giant machine called Trick, and this mysterious girl who was now lying in the Gessen recovery room, unsure if bringing a non-shinobi into the school was the right thing to do.

Suddenly, the ringtone version of '_Sunshine Fes._' began playing as Shiki's phone vibrated. The name 'Akko' lit up her phone screen, Shiki hesitating for just a moment before swiping upwards, speaking in a deadpanned tone. "Like, Heya Akko. Long time, no see."

"SHIKIIIII!" came the sobbing voice of her friend, which caused both Shiki and her eardrums to recoil in startled pain. "I didn't think anyone was gonna pick up! Like, I totally been all like 'should I call Shizue? Maybe Meg or Hitome? No NO! you've been such a horrible friend to them lately, how could you burden them with THIS SHIT?! You'll feel like a god damn needy bitch, Akko'!" Akko's voice droned into sobbings.

"Whoa, whoa. Like, take a chill, girlfriend. One at a time. You'll be okizay. So like, tell yer ol' pal Shiki wussup?" a sympathetic smile formed on Shiki's lips as she tried to comfort her friend.

"Ya… ya know that Yamauchi guy?" Akko said.

"The one you been dating? How's it goin there?" Shiki asked.

A moment of silence followed before Shiki's ears were blasted by a bawling Akko. "We NAW DA-ING ANYMOOORR-H-H-H-OOORRREE!"

"Ouch!" Shiki recoiled, but tried shrugging it off for Akko's sake. "Hey, hey. I'm here for ya, Akky. Now who initiated it?"

"He…" Akko hiccupped, taking a breath. "He dumped me like yesterday's fashion trends! Only said something like 'things will get more dangerous from here on out'. Like, WHAT THE HELL KINDA EXCUSE IS THAT!?"

Shiki continued consoling her friend, trying to get her calm down from her sobbings. "I shoulda listened to them, Shiki! I shoulda listened to Shizue and the others! But I thought we would last! I couldn't bring myself to call them, Shiki, but I heard you'd been kinda absent from the gang yourself for a while and I figure 'hey, maybe sheeks will listen'."

"Oh. Y-yeah, I been… pretty busy." Shiki laughed slightly.

"Talk to me, girlfriend. Like, gimme somethin' to clear my mind, please." Akko pleaded.

Shiki began to chat casually to her friend until Akko cornered her with questions regarding a 'totes cra-cra' outfit of hers. Shiki chuckled, "I guess the cat's out of the bag. I… hehe… really enjoy a gnarly cosplay from time to time. I was just too embarrassed to say anything about it."

"For real, Sheeks?! Then what the hell was Shizue on about, what with you doing martial arts and throwing giant weapons around? Personally, I think this whole 'alien' thing in the media is total bogus, ya dig? These are clearly terrorist attacks. Shizue just subscribes to dopey conspiracy theories." Shiki's eyes dropped, wishing that Akko's words were true. Fabricating a story about how her one school friend got her into cosplay and that the weapon was fully aesthetic, Shiki told Akko that Shizue was probably just shocked and her reaction made Shiki flee from embarrassment. "Pfft. Like, Come on, dudette. We all go way back, don't be so embarrassed with us. Look, just call the girl up, okay? Shizue's been worried sick about you, like, you totally haven't been answering her texts and that jazz."

"Y-y-yeah, Akko. I'll… I'll totes jump on that." Shiki replied, "But hey, it'll be alright, girl. I know it's absopositively tough losing someone you love. So why don't we go out for coffee sometime? Just a girl's night out, kay? You and me."

"Really?! Like, RIGHTEOUS!" Akko happily cheered, "Thanks, Shiki. Thanks for hearing me out and helping me. I know I can always trust you. Love ya, Akko out!" A lump hit Shiki's throat at Akko's last words before she hung up.

A sigh escaped the Gessen Shinobi's mouth as she placed a palm against her forehead, shaking it. "What are you doing?! Shiki, you idiot!"

* * *

Rising smoke from burning cars and shattered debris sent Minori coughing and tripping through the streets of Chuo, Tokyo. It's darkened skies casted a grim outlook on the ruins of a former battle. "What we even doin' here, Murakumo?" whined the young shinobi.

"Doing what we should as good shinobi. Search for any survivors and assist them. If we find the big black alien, then we attack." Murakumo stated plainly. Minori hopped over a broken steel beam, which jutted out, scraping her across the knee. Tumbling over onto her butt, Minori's eyes began to water, holding her knee as she called out for her friend. Minori felt her hand being lifted up by her friend, Murakumo proceeding to ask if she could still walk and checking for major injuries. But afterward confirming, Murakumo proceeded to walk onward as though nothing happened. Minori felt a pounding frustration in her heart, looking at the ground through angry tears. Turning back, Murakumo sighed, "It's just a scratch, Minori. What's wrong?"

"You… leave Minori behind… knee still hurt." She choked out the words, puffing her cheeks and not daring to let her eyes look into Murakumo's mask as the droplets began to fall.

"Minori, you have basic first aid in your pack that can easily take care of that. Besides, we're on a mission. If you want to grow as a shinobi, you're gonna have to toughen up a bit. People count on us with their lives, Minori. Yumi's right. You're going to have to let go of that kind of mindset." As Minori heard Murakumo turning to leave, she stomped angrily, quickly jerking a bandage out of her bag before following Murakumo at a distance. Minori didn't know why, but a silent anger simmered over her to where she didn't want to look at Murakumo.

The voice of a terrified man suddenly called out from under the rubble. Minori watched as Murakumo quickly rushed over, pulling aside debris and then reaching for the man's hand. Murakumo looked back towards her. "Don't just stand there, Minori! Help me!"

Still puffing her cheeks, a reluctant Minori huffed over, holding out her hand and pulling the man to safety. "Can you walk?" Murakumo asked, the man confirming and thanking them before staggering away, Minori simply folding her arms and staring. The moment he left, Murakumo's voice came at Minori in a scolding manner. "What's the matter with you, Minno!? How do you think Yumi would react if they saw you acting this way!? Or Kurokage!? You're so selfish!"

Minori's heart felt like a stone sinking in a sea of guilt, which splashed forth water that became her tears. Minori looked down, sniffling and whimpering as she bit her lip from the inside. Just then she felt Murakumo's hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have, That was too harsh of me."

Minori shook her head, "Yoza right. Me not fit to be shinobi. I let Kurokage down… GRANDPAAAA!" a flood of tears burst forward as Minori began bawling, her heart and her mind clashing in a battle that she didn't even understand.

Murakumo then got on one knee, lifting her mask just above her head, which Minori took notice as her eyes caught Murakumo's green eyes. Murakumo's voice trembled lightly, her pitch only slightly higher than her deep masked voice. "Listen, Minori. The path of a good shinobi is not easy. Sometimes… we can let our emotions get the best of us and that can lead us astray." A moment of silence followed, Minori's eyes red from crying. "We never forget those we've lost, Minori. But we also have to move on for their sake and ours."

"I… I don't get it." Minori muttered, looking over at Murakumo.

Murakumo proceeded to put her mask back on as she spoke. "How do I explain? It's like… We won't forget grandpa Kurokage, but also… what would he want us to be doing?"

Minori tilted her head, drying her eyes. "Doing… with what?"

"Uhh… let's see. An example… Ah. You see those people over there?" Murakumo pointed, Minori looking up to see a tall, blonde woman pointing a spear at a man in pink armor, who was on his rear, scooting back in retreat.

"The costume people? What they doin' out here?" Minori asked.

"I don't know. Let's go investigate." Minori began to follow Murakumo as she headed closer. "Now, Minori. Just watch me and think to yourself what would Kurokage want you to do?" Murakumo then turned her attention to the strangers ahead. "Hey you!"

* * *

The taxi driver screamed as he was yanked out of his cab. A man in a large, pink-armored suit sent waves of electricity through the driver's phone, short-circuiting it before dropping it beside him. "I really tried to be civil, but I'm a man with a schedule and I can't have any pesky police coming around." Anonydeath said, throwing Ram into the seat beside him as he jumped inside, speeding off.

Vert, who had been in hot pursuit, summoned an aethereal circle behind her, which formed a green energy lance that she took in her hand. "Sylhet Spear!" Vert threw the spear, impaling the rear window of the taxi, causing both Ram and Anonydeath to yelp.

"Yikes! If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was trying to stick it to me!" Anony chuckled, Vert's attack doing little as he drove off.

She then ran up to the cab driver, pulling him up by the arm. "That was your car, wasn't it?! Come on, we can't let both a thief and a child-napper escape!" a bit dazed, the driver asked who she was. "I am that girl's fr-… sister. Please, we have to get her back!"

The driver waved for another taxi that was driving by, Vert immediately jumping in the seat beside the other driver. "What the hell is going on!?" the new driver cried, the other driver jumping in the back as he tried to explain the situation to her, "B-but we're supposed to be evacuating this area! And you want me to go back!?"

Vert, however, continued pleading, insisting she was Ram's sister. The taxi driver, then thinking of her own child, began turning the car around. A relieved 'thank you' left Vert's mouth. "Buckle up, this could get bumpy." The driver said.

Anonydeath smashed his way past some police barriers, ignoring the cops' hand gestures to halt. They proceeded to pursue until a certain point, where the officers hesitantly stopped, turning their car back. As Anonydeath drove onto a freeway bridge, Ram looked down, seeing a train just below travelling in a similar direction. "Ah, perfect. If I can smash through that gate up ahead and land on that train, we'll be good as gold with no one to trail us!" Anonydeath said out loud, not noticing Ram slowly scooting over in her chair.

With a sudden shove, Ram forced the steering wheel towards Anonydeath, swerving the car rightward. Anonydeath yelped before violently pushing Ram backwards, trying to regain control of the car. The taxi haphazardly swerved onto an exit ramp, smashing up against guard rails and shattering its mirrors in a downward spiral until finally smashing headfirst into a yield sign and a set of concrete road barriers, throwing both Anony and Ram.

Anonydeath groaned and shook his head. "Iris Heart's name, kiddo. You realize we don't have extra lives to spare." Ram grunted in pain, trying to regain her composure from where she had been thrown, her hand reaching for the car lock, before pushing the door open. "Heyheyheyheyhey! Let's not be a bad girl, Rammy." Anony tried to grab her leg but his hand swiped at this air as Ram fell out the door.

Getting up, Ram quickly began limping away towards deserted city streets. On the other side of the taxi, the driver's door smashed open with a bang, Anonydeath squeezing himself out of the partly bent-up car. Turning around with a start, she tried going faster as the armored hacker walked towards her. "Come on, Ram. Don't cause trouble for me, I really don't enjoy violence. Ya know, all we had to do was follow the damn train, Ram. If you hadn't gone and wrecked the car, I wouldn't have needed to keep you hostage for much longer."

"N-no! You stay away you… creepy… FREAK!" Ram's voice stuttered; her body chilled as she tried to run faster, only tripping over a piece of rubble jutting from the side of the road.

"Oh, come now, Ram. That wasn't nice at all." Anonydeath stuck his hands on his hips when he heard a car approaching.

Vert quickly ran out with spear in hand. "Hold it right there, fiend! What have you done to her?!"

"I tried to keep her safe, but this little barbarian just tried to kill us both by wrecking the car. Kids these days, am I right Lady Vert?" Anonydeath causally made hand gestures.

"Nuh uh! He was gonna take us onto a train, but I stopped him!" Ram shouted.

"I was gonna let her go after a time! I have no use for a hostage when I'm far from danger!" Anony protested.

"And yet I find that hard to believe. Ram, catch!" Vert took Ram's staff, throwing it overhead of Anonydeath towards the little Loweean candidate. Despite Anonydeath's attempt at grabbing it, the staff landed beside it's rightful owner, who quickly snatched it up, aiming it at the hacker. "Now. You will tell us just what it is you are up to and where we are!" Vert said, pointing her spear at Anony from the other side.

"Honestly, I have no idea where we are either. That whole blinding light thing really did a number on all of us." Anonydeath shrugged. Ram slowly began to get up, casting a minor, lingering healing spell on herself.

"You honestly expect us to believe that?" Vert said, taking a step closer.

With his hands still up, Anonydeath gave a simple "No, not really." Before jumping behind one of the concrete barriers, fleeing down the street.

"Let's get him, Vert!" Ram shouted, the two goddesses then pursuing Anonydeath through the city area. But Ram began to take notice as buildings around her were torn apart, cars were smashed, and the very road looked as if it had been the grounds of a ferocious battle. "Vert, something's wrong. The city is looking more destroyed as we go on."

Vert gave a quick look around, still keeping most of her focus on Anonydeath, who then fled down an alleyway. Vert then pointed around the building to the left alley. "Ram, go around and see if you can catch him in an ice blizzard. I'll keep in pursuit!"

"Flank him! Got it!" as Ram dashed around, Vert kept on Anonydeath's trail as he tried lobbing a trash can her direction. Leaping over it, Vert continued in her chase, turning the corner as Anonydeath ran into the street, only to get iced by Ram.

With frost weighing down his armor and obstructing his joints, Anonydeath slowed to a backwards retreat. "Now, now. Let's not get too hasty. Violence is unbecoming of a Gamindustri goddess is it not?"

"But we're not in Gamindustri… are we?" Ram glared into Anonydeath's helmet visor, staff out as she walked closer.

"Listen, now. You know I can easily access your basilicom terminals and expose your info, don't you?" Anonydeath backed up, the two goddesses closing in on him.

"I know you well enough to know that you're bluffing. Now tell us what you know." Vert pointed her spear closer.

"I-I don't! I swear it!" Anonydeath protested, only to then get thrown into the air as Ram blasted him with a wind spell, sending him flying upward before falling on his back, his helmet flying off to reveal a very handsome looking face, with a smooth jawline, light skin, strawberry-blonde hair that went down just below his ears and light blue eyes that glimmered of both shock and fear. "Oh, not my helmet! J-jeez, Ram, why you gotta be so… insensitive!?"

"You started it by kidnapping me!" Ram yelled. "Let's get him, Vert!... Vert?"

"My, so that's what he looks like. If he wasn't such a villain, he'd fit right into some of my favorite harem series. What a face." Vert smiled for a moment.

"Um. Earth to Vert!" Ram huffed.

"Hehe… Well, I'm glad you seem to think so, Lady Vert. You know, employing me into Leanbox's services could work wonders for your nation." Anony grinned, but it was a failed masking of his fear.

"But you did once hack Lastation's basilicom, so inviting you in would be like an act of war against an allied nation. Now, why don't you be a good boy, hm?" Vert walked closer towards him, spear in hand.

Still on the ground, Anony began backing up, scooting away from the goddesses. "I-I can give you an edge over the other nations. Install advanced cooling systems during hot whether or invent a digital store with gold membership. We can call it Leanbox Live! EEH!"

Ram had her staff at Anonydeath's throat. "Just spill to us what's going on!"

"That's right." Vert smiled passive-aggressively. "All will be fine if you simply cooperate."

"Hey you!" a deep woman's voice could be heard in the distance, Vert then noticing a masked samurai-like woman approaching them. Beside her was a short, brightly colored girl with long brown pigtails.


	27. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 26

Chapter 26: The Two Spears

The wind blew through the city, its draft emitting an unsettling air as the two parties met. Through her mask, the Gessen shinobi spoke in an imposing voice. "Who are you, and just what are you doing out here?"

"I would ask the same of you. Nice costume but you're awfully far from the convention. And from what I hear, citizens are supposed to be evacuating this area." Vert replied.

"Exactly the reason I ask why YOU are out here. More importantly, what are you doing to this man?" Murakumo folded her arms.

"Oh, don't be fooled, miss. This man is a kidnapper and I am simply teaching him a harsh lesson." Vert smiled.

"Is that so?" Murakumo looked down at the man.

"It's not true! Yeah, I made a sarcastic and possibly rude remark about her outfit that I shouldn't have, but she said she'd HAVE MY HEAD FOR IT!" Anonydeath began to sob.

"I WILL have your head, YOU BIG LIAR!" Ram rushed up, aiming to strike Anonydeath in the face with her staff, the hacker letting out a yell. A sudden clang of metal and Ram recoiled back, looking up to see the brown-haired, pig tailed girl glaring at her.

"Bad girl. No hurting unarmed person!" while Minori's grimace made Vert smile, it made Ram boil inside.

"What's with this idiot?" Ram then pointed at Murakumo. "You with the mask. You should get out of here while you can, it's not safe bringing children along."

"You smaller than meee!" Minori whined.

"At least I sound more grown up than you!" Ram snapped back.

"Nuh uh!" Minori retorted.

"Ya huh!"

"NUH UH!"  
"Ya. Huuuh!"

"Ram, is that any way for a goddess to be acting?" Vert sighed before turning towards Murakumo. "I'm sorry, clearly there's been a misunderstanding. This man kidnapped Ram here and is a public enemy of Gamindustri. Now if you'll excuse us ladies, we've a criminal to apprehend."

Murakumo watched as a nervous Anonydeath frantically scooted over to where his helmet was, his trembling blue eyes reflecting similar heart-pounding insecurities she often saw in herself. "Do I look like the kind of guy who'd enact a kidnapping? I told her I was sorry, but she came at me with that scary spear!"

"Don't listen to him! He's lying!" Ram shouted.

"Minori think it's better not to listen to rude, hothead little girl!" Minori's lips curled up into a huffy frown.

"Says the little girl who can't speak or act her age!" Ram retorted, sass coating her tone.

Minori, already steaming began to yell, "I am NOT LITTLE!" Tackling Ram to the ground, the two rolled as Minori began to pummel Ram with her bucket. In retaliation, Ram began using her staff as a battering weapon. Murakumo called out for Minori to stop, but to no avail as Ram had now rolled Minori underneath her, forcing the latter to grapple her staff in defense as the two girls growled, an aggressive spark going off as they made eye contact.

Vert then pulled Ram off Minori. "That's enough, Ram!"

"But she started it!" Ram rebutted.

Murakumo walked up behind Minori, backhanding her in the head. "That is no way to be acting, Minori! I'm afraid I'll have to report this."

"N-no, Murakumo! Don't tell Yumi!" Minori looked back, teary eyed.

Anonydeath had begun to sneak away when Vert pointed her spear his direction. "Hold it! You don't think I'm actually going to let you off easy, do you?" Vert stopped suddenly when Murakumo stepped in front of her, pointing her hooked spear right at Vert's nose.

"You say there's been a misunderstanding. To me your intentions have been made quite clear, villain. Now, tell me what really happened." Murakumo said.

"We are not your enemies. I am telling you; this man is a criminal! His act is a ruse!" Vert pleaded.

"I saw the fear in his eyes, heard the tone of his voice. As opposed to someone who appears to take pleasure in such antagonistic actions." Murakumo replied.

"Ah! I am normally a patient woman, but your interference is beginning to irk me." Vert felt a slight vein popping in her head as she stared down Murakumo's mask.

"Yeah, you attacked first! How do we know you're not with them?" Ram said.

"Cause we don't know him! Meanie!" Minori blurted.

"Dummy!" Ram called back, the spark between their eyes ready to ignite once more.

"If you are truly not as you claim, then let the blades of our spears determine who is in the right." Murakumo pulled out her cleaver. "You may call me Murakumo. Might I have your name, stranger?"

"I am Vert. Vert of Leanbox." The goddess now positioned her spear against Murakumo's.

"Now then, Vert of Leanbox; Prepare yourself!" Murakumo rushed forward taking rapid jabs at Vert, who swung her spear like chopper blades in front of her, deflecting Murakumo's strikes. As Murakumo and Vert began to duel, Ram, noticing as Minori cheered her friend on, sent a small lightning spell her direction, zapping the Gessen shinobi.

Minori's hair puffed of static, as she looked towards Ram. "What? I didn't do anything!" Ram turned her head and folded her arms when a magic burst sent her flying backwards, ripping the ends of her dress. Getting up, Ram screamed, charging at Minori who also followed suit.

Murakumo kept on Vert with a fast flurry of jabs and slashes, pushing her back slowly, but unable to break her guard. A swing to the right, a jab to the left, a fake out into a cleaver strike from the side, it did not matter. Vert met her attempts at seemingly every angle. "Not bad, Vert of Leanbox. But why will you not attack? Show me what you are made of!"

"My, I thought I already had been." Vert shoved aside Murakumo's spear, spinning her own spear to then counter the incoming cleaver. "But I agree. I will show you just what a goddess can do! Sylhet Spear!" Murakumo leapt aside, just barely dodging a green energy spear which appeared from an aethereal circle of the same color. But as she dodged aside, Vert was now on top of her.

"It is finally my turn. Rainy Ratnapura!" with a rapid series of jabs, Vert took Murakumo by surprise. Finding herself on the defensive, she desperately blocked Vert's onslaught, as now it was she who began to get pushed back.

Minori jumped and sidestepped, Ram sending all manners of fire, ice, lightning, and wind elements her direction. A miniature twister sent Minori upward, ripping the sleeves near her arms and sending her dress flying up to reveal her striped panties. Ram, following up with a fireball, witnessed as Minori's frying pan sent her own attack back at her. As Ram leapt to the right, the blast pressure from the fireball knocked her down on her stomach.

"Rrrgh! You eat pancakes and get fat, fat, FAT!" Minori shouted. Ram looked down on the ground as a large shadow enveloped where she lay. Aiming her wand upward, she launched an ice spell followed by a fire spell, shattering and dissipating the pancakes. But as burning pancake pieces fell so did a large, iron weight held by Minori.

Just missing Ram, the young CPU Candidate found herself on the ground once more, proceeding to kick Minori back, the Gessen Shinobi storing the big weight into her odd hamster backpack. Ram got up just in time, Minori jumping back to strike her bucket against Ram's staff, the two engaging in their own duel.

Vert's continuous barrage kept Murakumo on her toes, barely blocking the CPU's strikes as Vert's spear tore at her lower waist cloth, exposing her smooth thighs and ripping the left half of her red haori almost completely off. Her right gauntlet and some cloth underneath were the only thing covering her naked arm and shoulder. "Now where was all that energy you had just a moment ago?" Vert chuckled. _You can do this, Murakumo. You are the Mask of the South! _Murakumo rapidly looked for an opening. "Give up, you cannot win."

"Do not. Be so sure!" A swift parry from Murakumo's cleaver sent both herself and Vert staggering backwards, enough to regain her composure.

Vert, taken aback by the counter, also caught her breath. "Most impressive indeed. I would ask where you hail from."

"I'm afraid that is top secret." Murakumo took a stance, but it was clear to her that Vert was not intimidated.

"Very well, then how about you tell me when we finish this!?"

"I Agree! HAAAAH!" leaping into the air, Murakumo lunged at Vert who dashed forwards under her, Murakumo making out the words 'Kinestra Slash' as a series of green energy slices tore apart her outfit.

A plastic clunk could be heard as Vert turned to see tattered fabrics decorating the ground, beside it, the white Hanya mask of her opponent. A high-pitched scream followed as Murakumo clenched her legs up. Left only in her chest armor, the wind chilled the skin up her back and across her shoulders and onto her bare ass. Vert slowly came around to see Murakumo covering her closed eyes with one hand as she felt around for her mask in a trembling voice. "Oh, no no no no no no no. Not here, not here not again why?!"

"You are… much different sounding without your mask." Vert walked over, picking up the Hanya mask. "Is this some kind of magic or… technology?"

"EEH! Nonono, please give it back! You can't… you can't take my mask from me, I'll die!" Murakumo crawled over towards Vert, only to look up to see Vert wearing her Hanya mask. "EH!?"

"Hmm. I don't feel any different. Wait, I get it, it must be an equipment piece that raises your stats. That must explain why your clothes just exploded when I knocked your mask off." Vert said.

"Wh-wh-what!? N-n-n-n-nO! I-I don't think. NO! I know that's not how it works!" Murakumo stuttered, bewilderment mixing into her embarrassment.

"Oh? Well it does make for a good costume piece. Hmm. Do you think it looks good on me? I know the outfit doesn't match, but I have some great costumes back home that would look splendid with this accessory." Vert's carefree tone baffled Murakumo, whose cartoon-white pupils of shock and incomprehensive stammering left her unable to move. "Oh, but maybe this mask is cursed. And if I destroy it, you will be set free and back to your normal self."

Murakumo let out a gasping scream, "Destroy it?!"

"Don't worry, dear. This should only take a second." Vert began to take the mask off when Murakumo lunged for it screaming 'NO!'.

Snatching it back, Murakumo quickly put her mask back on, panting as her voice returned to the deep tone she once had. "You… are the most lackadaisical, infuriating foe I've EVER FACED! You're not the first to steal my mask or threaten to destroy my belongings but how DARE YOU SAY IT WITH SUCH A SMILE ON YOUR FACE!"

"My, did I strike a nerve? No need to be a sore loser." Vert looked surprised.

"NO, YOU LISTEN HERE!" Murakumo began shouting, going into a raging rant. Vert folded her arms, unsure of what to do when she noticed a growing shadow on the ground. In a rushing lunge, Vert tackled Murakumo out of the way as a large lifting electromagnet dropped down where they once were. The loud crash got the attention of Ram and Minori, who stopped fighting to see Vert and Murakumo on their backs. "You… saved me? Why?"

"I told you. We are not your enemies." Vert replied.

"Oh, give me a break!" came the voice of Anonydeath, who stood above them on a construction catwalk, right beside a crane with a detached hook.

"You… you tried to kill us." Murakumo said.

"This ain't what it looks like, girlfriend, I swear it!" Anonydeath called down.

"You… rat bastard!" Murakumo yelled, Minori and Ram soon running up beside their friends to hear Murakumo shout louder. "You TRIED TO KILL US!"

"Very good, I mean-… Wait, that's not what I meant to say!" Anonydeath held his head.

"I trust this proof will suffice?" Vert asked.

Murakumo gave light grunt while nodding slowly, clearly embarrassed. "Minori, can you hand me the extra clothes?"

"They might not fit cause they mine, but okay." Minori quickly handed her the clothing items, Murakumo donning a pair of pink kitty underwear which barely snapped over her hipline and a small, blue furisode with gold kanji lining the outside trims.

Vert held her hand to her mouth, trying not to stare. "Oh my, how lewd." When asked by Murakumo if she had said something, Vert immediately sweatdropped. "Why yes. Let us go after him!"

* * *

Quickly following Vert and Ram, Murakumo and Minori began dashing up stairs and the sides of old buildings in pursuit of Anonydeath. Flights of stairs adorned scattered glass and furniture and beams of steel and wood obstructed the pathways until the four girls jumped from a broken window, onto a construction catwalk, trailing Anonydeath to the roof. "Hold it!" Murakumo pointed her spear at Anony, but the hacker ran forward and leapt off the roof onto the next nearby building.

Without warning, Murakumo leapt after Anonydeath followed by Minori. Ram sweatdropped, scratching the back of her head. "Yeah, those weirdos can go after him if they want, but I don't wanna get him that badly, right VEEEEERT!?" before she could finish, Vert grabbed Ram by the hand as she performed a running dash, jumping over to the next roof. Ram clung onto Vert as the roof of the next building rushed up at her, closing her eyes before they landed.

Ram opened her eyes to Vert's voice, "Are you alright, Ram? Oh look, our newfound allies have just cornered the hacker. How wonderful. Come on, Ram." Vert walked off, leaving Ram, who said nothing but simply looked straight, breathing heavily before Vert came back, dragging her along.

"I admit that I lied about the whole insulting her outfit thing, that never happened! Her outfit's kinda cute actually, but I swear I did not drop that magnet! I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time is all!" Anonydeath pleaded.

"You expect us to believe that!?" Murakumo flared.

"I suppose not." Anonydeath sighed, "But just so ya know, if anything happens to me, I have auto-bombers on radar, ready to level the area at my command."

"What does that mean?" Minori tilted her head.

"It means he plans to blow us all up if we touch him!" Murakumo frantically took a step back.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. I know even you have no such power." Vert folded her arms.

"How do you know this?" Murakumo turned her head towards Vert.

"We have dealt with this fiend in the past. And he is an expert bluffer. He's smart and resourceful, but his threats are about as empty as promises from a CEO from a game studio in Rockville, Maryland." Awkward silence followed. "Oh, never mind. The point is you have nothing to fear of this man." Vert began walking closer towards Anonydeath with her weapon out, the others following suit shortly.

"A-are you sure about that, Lady Vert?" Anonydeath began to take slow steps back, opening a small panel on his arm. "Don't be so sure… I've… got resources you may not know about!"

"My, is that trembling I detect, my dear Anonydeath? Play around on your toys all you like, but I suggest you come quietly before we force you to quiet down." Vert's ominous words meshed with a calm tone and a sweet smile.

"Yeah! Quiet you down! You try to kill Murakumo!" Minori pointed at Anonydeath.

Anonydeath sighed, "Alright, I give up. But I swear I did not unhinge that magnet."

"Then who did, Creepy? Tell us! Tell us now!" Ram demanded.

The evening clouds began to darken further than they were as rain began falling. Murakumo looked and around. "What is that?"

"It's just a bit of rain. Surely you know what that is, don't you?" Vert raised an eyebrow.

"No, not that, but I… sense something." Murakumo said.

"Something smell funny." Minori scrunched her nose as she sniffed.

"You smelt it first. Must be you." Ram remarked, Minori protesting as the two started another childish argument, which Vert was quick to shut down, noticing the rain slowly heightening by the second.

"It does smell strange, though. Reminds me of when we were at the beach with all the… salt water." Murakumo suddenly grabbed Anonydeath, shoving him against the wall with her cleaver at his neck. "WHAT DID YOU DO!?"

"Nothing! It's like your Lady Vert said, I'm a bluffer! I was just pretending to push buttons!" Anonydeath's voice trembled as he put his hands up.

"Murakumo. You sense that don't you?" Minori asked, holding her nose from the intensifying smell. The rushing sounds of water could be heard below as though a river had flooded the city streets. Vibrations came through the ground, crawling up the building rooftop and into their legs as a slimy crackling echoed into their ears. Murakumo stuttered, "A yoma?!"

From around the corner of a nearby city block, emerged the swollen shape of a creature, almost 100 feet tall. It's off-white tentacles reeked of a stinging, salty smell, which complemented three grotesque masses of bulging flesh. The two on the front, which each seemed to house a black, oozing eye in the center, pulsated as it came around. It's final bulge, which was by far the largest, was marked with terrible blue and purple markings, the likes of which formed the shapes of human faces. Finally, stubby but tubular black arms with outer, parasitic teeth on the end jutted from the sides of the creature as it let out an echoing, eerie moan.

"This is bad, we have to get out here!" Murakumo murmured when she noticed Vert standing on the edge of the building. "What are you doing!?"

"Sylhet Spear!" a green energy spear launched from an aethereal circle behind Vert, piercing the yoma's right bulge of flesh. Emitting a deafening roar, the yoma retaliated by spewing ink-like shots which almost hit Murakumo and Minori. The creature then used its massive tentacles to strike at the base of the building, destabilizing it. Anonydeath used the opportunity to shove a staggering Minori and Murakumo down as he fled.

"ARE YOU MAD!? We can't take on a yoma of that size!" Murakumo shouted.

"Then stay behind and watch after Ram for me. I'll OHKO this boss in two turns!" Vert said. Keeping her balance, she leapt downwards onto a nearby catwalk, proceeding down the building acrobatically, and gaining the attention of the giant yoma.

"That's not how OHKOs wo-... Oh, what is that idiot thinking!?" Murakumo growled, getting up. "We can't stay here, Minori! Let's go. You too!" She nodded towards Ram, before running down through the slowly tipping building.

"HEY! Don't leave me here!" Ram cried, running after the shinobi.

With very minor flooding in the city streets, Vert landed on the roof of an abandoned bus. Drenched by the heavy rain, Vert now stood perfectly adjacent from the yoma, it's imposing ugliness flashed in its fullest via bolts of lightning in the background. A smirk carved upon the Leanbox Goddesses mouth. "Now then, show me what you can do."


	28. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 27

Chapter 27: In the Shadow of Goza

The heavy rain dripped down Vert's body, flowing like a river and drenching her dress against her tall, curvy frame and voluptuous rack. Before her, the near 100-foot (30 meter) yoma stood like a hideous, misshapen octopus with its massive tentacles erecting out of the small 12 foot (about 3.5 meters) of flooding in the streets. Just ahead, Vert made out that the creature seemed to be riding on some sort of old warship made of wood with arching slate tiles for the roof. A menacing roar from the yoma created a gust of wind. Though the ends of her dress blew aside, revealing her tall, athletic legs, Vert remained still.

The yoma took the first strike, smashing its tentacle down onto the bus, just missing the goddess, who pole-vaulted over to a nearby van. The yoma followed up with another tentacle strike, but another pole-vaulting jump from Vert sent her onto the first tentacle. Vert felt her legs struggling to keep balance as she ran along it's slippery, rubber-like surface when it began to move. As the giant tentacle began to retract, Vert felt her feet go out from under her, her body now sliding down the slippery feeler. Instinctively using her spear as a grapple, she plunged it deep into the yoma's tentacle.

* * *

Murakumo and Minori had meanwhile jumped down on the awning of a small, abandoned clothing store in time to see Vert barely escaping the yoma's first strike. Watching with awe as she pole-vaulted like an acrobat and running down the slippery tentacle.

Ram climbed out of the busted wall of the 2nd floor and onto the awning where Minori and Murakumo stood. "Jeez, what gives? You can't just leave me behind when I'm not as jumpy as you jumpy froggies. I bet you smack blocks with your heads and jump on turtle shells just for the fun of it!"

The yoma let out an agonizing roar; Murakumo and Minori gasping as Vert gripped onto her spear, its tentacles recoiling in pain before whipping her down into the water, sending a small wave towards the other girls. "Brace yourselves!" Murakumo called out, Minori taking a stance.

"Wait, huh, what?!" Ram frantically looked around when the wave splashed over them, knocking her into the water below as she dropped her staff. Spitting and coughing, Ram splashed her head above the waves, "H-help!"

"Minori!" Murakumo shouted, but Minori simply looked up at her with a supposed confused look, tilting her head, and pretending not to notice Ram.

"Hmmm? What is it, Murky?"

"Ugh! Now's not the TIME FOR THIS, DAMMIT!" Murakumo stepped over to the side where Ram had fallen, sticking the shaft end of her spear out to the little goddess, who grabbed hold as Murakumo pulled her back up onto the awning.

As Ram picked up her staff again, the water dripping from her might as well have turned to steam as she stomped towards Minori. "What IS your problem!? I could have drowned!"

"Minori just didn't see you, is all." Minori's long pigtails shook with sass as she turned her head, closing her eyes, and folding her arms.

"Dummy!" Ram shouted.

"Stupid!" Minori retorted.

"IDIOT!"

"JERK!" At this, Ram turned her head away too, folding her arms. A moment of silence followed before Ram peeked over, to see if Minori was looking before giving her a push. Minori yelped as she tried to regain her balance.

Murakumo's hand then yanked Minori back, pulling her against the wall. "That's enough from both of you! Now is not the time for childish antics!"

"Yeah, Minnow head. We gotta help Vert!" Ram spouted, but Murakumo wasn't finished.

"You're JUST AS RESPONSIBLE!" Murakumo's tone made Ram mutter an 'eep', the Gessen Ninja then pointing aggressively. "You see that thing!? If we don't help her out, your friend will be in some serious-…"

"VERT!" Ram cried out, seeing Vert whipped from one of the yoma's tentacles. No sooner had she began flying through the air when the yoma followed up with a heavy release of ominous ink from a hole just below its fleshy mounds, to which one couldn't tell if it was supposed to be a mouth or a belly button.

Splattered by the ink, Vert flew by them in a flash, smashing against a nearby billboard. Ram's breath was heavy, her eyes slowly quivering. Something inside her snapped, as a boiling heat now rushed to her face. "AAAAAAHHH! I don't care if I can't transform, I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" Creating a path of ice through the waters, Ram dashed across the flooded area towards the giant yoma.

"WAIT!" Murakumo called out, but Ram had gone. "If that thing's what I think it is there's no way she can take it! Minori, take the small one and meet me up on the elevated hillside street over there!" Murakumo pointed. "And please, for Gessen's sake, set aside your petty differences. Act not on what you feel, but what is just!"

Minori's eyes dropped for a moment as Murakumo leapt off towards Vert, before she too looked ahead, jumping down onto the path of ice Ram had left.

* * *

Ram jumped onto the mostly submerged trailer of a semi-truck. "You filthy MONSTEERRR!" Ram sent an array of fireballs towards the yoma, who's drenched body seemed unaffected, only getting it's attention. As though part of it's body, the oars of the boat beneath it moved in sync with it's tentacles, lumbering towards Ram slowly. A glimmering light emitted from Ram's staff as she raised it high into the sky. "Eternal Force Blizzard!" Focusing on the limbs of the creature that were sticking out of the water, pillars of ice formed, stopping the yoma in its tracks.

Ram readied for another attack when suddenly Minori jumped her from behind. "Come back! You can't face it alone!"

"You again!? Then let go and help me!" Ram tried struggling out of Minori's arms when they heard the ice cracking, the yoma's limbs beginning to break free. "You idiot! Let me go so I can hit it before it hits us!"

"But Murakumo said it's too dangerous!"

"Murakumo, shcmakumo! Now let. Me. GO!" In a desperate attempt, Ram elbowed Minori, knocking her off. Trying to send a lightning spell towards the giant yoma, the creature only seemed agitated. As it lifted its limbs out of the water, the lingering ice on its tentacles resembled that of a cumbersome club.

"You see?! NOW bad yoma has a weapon! This is your fault!" Minori glared.

"My fault!? If you hadn't stopped me, I could have beaten that oversized freak!" Ram yelled, when the creature groaned, it's ice-clubbed tentacle ready to strike. Jumping to one side, Minori and Ram were thrown far as water and debris were tossed up along with them, a detached parking meter striking Minori in the upper back.

Submerged at first, the girls managed to get ahold of a loose gas station sign afloat in the flood, gasping for air as their fingers struggled to climb aboard wet, hard plastic. The yoma unleashed an ear-piercing roar, spewing the same ink that struck Vert. Forcing Ram and Minori to dive back into the water, the yoma's ink slowly melted the sign. But no sooner had they dove under when a giant tentacle splashed them out of the water, launching them upward. Ram and Minori pelted the yoma with ice shards and rock hard candy, but it only furthered to anger the creature, who sent another tentacle their direction. While not striking them directly, the partial contact sent them both into the water once more.

As the yoma turned and began looking for them, Ram and Minori popped their heads out behind a floating piece of rubble. Both girls grabbing on, Minori then whispered to Ram. "Can you run on wheel?"

"What!? Do I look like a hamster!?" Ram whispered back.

"Just answer Minori's question!"

"Yes, Okay! Why?"

Minori pointed almost a quarter of a mile back towards an uphill street. "Murky wants us to meet her there! Now make an ice path!"

"But that freaky creep will see us if I do!"

"I has a plan! Little girl just needs to trust Minori!"

"I have a name you-… fine." Ram sighed, crawling up on the rubble, making sure that the yoma was looking away. "I hope you know what you're doing!" As Ram began to create an ice path, Minori crawled out of the water and onto the rubble with Ram.

"Ultimate Ninja Art… Strawberry Rainbow SLIDE!" summoning an enormous strawberry Baumkuchen cake, the yoma turned towards them as Minori jumped into the middle "Get in!"

"Whoa! It looks so yummy!" Ram's eyes sparkled for a moment, when Minori gave her an annoyed 'HEY!'. "Oh, right!" Ram said, breaking from her self-trance and quickly jumping into the sweet wheel with Minori.

"NOW RUN!" Minori shouted. Mustering all their little legs could, the two sped down the ice path like a giant hamster wheel. The yoma spewed ink, melting portions of both the ice path and the cake wheel. At one point, Minori nearly fell out the side of her wheel and Ram found herself grabbing Minori's arm, helping her back up as they regained balance, fleeing the hideous yoma.

* * *

Murakumo jumped across rooftop, awning, signpost, and across the roof of a bus stop, the view of the smashed billboard behind the battered goddess nearing faster with each desperate step. The heavy rain, hampering her vision, forced her to take her mask off. Her breath heightened as she watched Vert's body begin to slip from the billboard. Not even realizing a lack of shift in her voice, she cried out Vert's name.

Knocked unconscious, Vert's inked body crumpled before falling into the water below. Murakumo leapt for her hand, but just missed. "NO!" She got to her feet, quickly looked around, grabbed her mask towards her face, hesitated, put it back on her side, growled, and hesitated once more before diving into the water.

Submerged, everything around her seemed to slow, as though time itself had attacked, making her heartbeats echo through the water, slowly, frantically. As the ink washed off of her, Murakumo noticed Vert's dress had been partially dissolved, leaving her in tatters which exposed her fair skin.

Stroking past loose newspaper dispensers, various rubble, and a vending machine, Murakumo reached for Vert's hand before she sunk any deeper. Missing the first time, she performed one more stroke closer, grasping the CPU's hand. With Vert in her arm, Murakumo began swimming back upwards when her eyes widened, and a gasping yelp let water past her lips.

The golden eyes of her Hanya mask leisurely floated past her, descending slowly into a watery grave. With the other arm, Murakumo tried to reach out for it, but was nearly crushed by the sinking vending machine, which then descended upon her mask. _No! My mask! _Murakumo began to panic, but her lungs began panicking more. Fighting through the dread, she swam hard, keeping a grip on Vert until the water finally leapt off her face.

Gasping and coughing, she stayed afloat, swimming the two of them to the edge of the road that rose from the flooded area. Placing Vert down, she crawled upon the drenched asphalt, inhaling deeply. Crawling over towards Vert, her Furisode was near see-through and her voice stammered into its usual, nervous high pitch. "Vert. P-p-please! Don't… don't die on me!"

With a Grunt, Murakumo placed her hands just below Vert's chest, shoving a few times until Vert came to, coughing up water and moaning in pain. "Sir, I am finishing this fight! Aaah!" Vert recoiled, Murakumo now noticing red, burn-like marks all along her body.

"Vert! A-a-are you okay!? Can you walk?!" Before Vert could answer, the deafening roar of the giant yoma in the distance could be heard.

"No. I can't… not… not like this!" Vert held her hand against her chest, Murakumo pulling her closer.

"You'll… you'll make it, Vert of Leanbox! I know you can!" Murakumo cradled Vert's head, looking down at her when a giant Baumkuchen wheel splashed through the water and wobbled onto the road. As Ram and Minori stepped out and the cake wheel disappeared in a cloud, Murakumo called them over.

"Vert!? What happened!?" Ram exclaimed.

"T-that yoma's ink… I think it burned her." Murakumo replied.

"I'm not as good as Rom, but at least I can do this. Here, a little tickle spell ought to do it." Ram waved her wand over Vert, as a greenish-yellow glow surrounded the Leanbox goddess.

"Tickle spell? Why you wanna make her laugh? She need help!" Minori looked confused.

"AH! I-it's just a name to sound cute is all!" Ram protested.

A flying car suddenly splashed upward just a few feet from where they stood as it plunged into the water, following another roar from the towering yoma. "We… c-can't stay here any longer! Help me with her, the two of you!"

"Are… you alright, Ram?" Vert uttered a weak smile.

"I'm fine!" Ram got under Vert's arm with Minori getting beside her. "It's you who's the concern here!"

"That's good. If anything happened to you, Blanc would have my head for sure." Vert chuckled before grunting as she tried to move.

"J-just… try not to move more than necessary, alright? You're hurt." Murakumo looked over into Vert's blue eyes.

A slight grin formed between Vert's lips. "My… you really are adorable without your mask. Especially all that concern… in your eyes."

"W-w-w-w-w-what!? H-hey! N-n-n-now's not the time for that kinda thing, ya know?! We gotta get somewhere safe!" Murakumo's voice peaked, blushing lightly at Vert's comment. Quickly getting out of the yoma's sights, the girls trudged through damp streets before finding their way through the automatic doors of some type of office facility.

"Where we going, Murky?" Minori asked as they walked towards an elevator.

"There's a lounge on the 6th floor. We should be able to rest there." Murakumo replied, the elevator greeting them with a ding as it opened. Making it up to the 6th, they brought Vert over to a leather couch, helping her lie down.

"Stupid doujinshi boss. Was my level not high enough?" Vert groaned as she situated herself.

"T-try not to move so much. Just… relax." Murakumo stuttered.

"Mhm! We're safe now. So just let my spell do it's work." Ram added. After getting Vert to settle down, Murakumo asked Ram and Minori to follow her as they searched through the vending machines on the lounge floor. After getting some food for themselves, they headed back. Murakumo, now wearing a large paper bag over her head which she poked a couple of eye holes in, set down a pack of Japanese hot dogs and a bottle of lemonade by Vert, while she sat across from the goddess with some fried rice balls and a bottle of juice.

Vert thanked her as the two began to share a meal. After a bit, Murakumo struck up conversation. "So… tell me what your Leanbox is like."

"It's very beautiful. We call it the Land of Green Pastures. We have mountains that overlook abundant fields and gorgeous, traditional villages. But our industrial cities, especially the capital of Megasoft, attract even more tourism. We have conventions and concerts and events there every year."

"Perhaps I could visit sometime. Where is this Leanbox?"

Vert's eyes began to drift a little. "Honestly I… don't know. I just hope we can return home soon. Then we'll have a chance of finding her sisters." Vert looked over towards the window where Ram sat across Minori.

Murakumo took the rice ball she was eating out from under the bag on her head. "What happened to them?"

"We were fighting our enemies when we all got separated. I'm still uncertain of how or where we are or if anyone else but us made it through or not…" Vert proceeded to tell her about the convention and how she assumed they were still in their dimension, Murakumo listening with interest. Vert then gasped, her eyes drifting sadly towards the ground. "I left Lyrica and Murasaki behind. And let Ram get kidnapped… How can I call myself sister material when I do that?"

_Murasaki? I wonder._ Murakumo thought to herself before placing a gentle arm on Vert. "It took a lot of bravery on your part to go after that yoma for her sake."

"Heh… More like a lot of foolishness." Vert replied.

"Yeah, you're right." Murakumo responded, to which Vert replied with flat, unamused irises enveloping her eyes. "Still… I'm not sure about this whole dimension thing… but if yoma can come from other dimensions, why can't people?"

Vert then proceeded to ask about yoma, Murakumo explaining their demonic origins and their lust for blood. "The one you faced I had only heard about in old documents. It's called Goza. Legends say it was once a girl like us, but she lost her loved one at sea and in her despair turned into a hideous creature which destroys ships. But… that could be just a myth. But still, to face such a creature… foolish perhaps… but brave nonetheless."

Vert smiled, taking a sip of her lemonade. "You are quite noble yourself. Saving a stranger you were just fighting."

"I owed you one from earlier, besides… I'm not one to abandon people in need." Murakumo then noticed Vert looking up at her, backing up when Vert tried to take off her paper bag. "Wh-wh-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"My, why are you so shy? I've seen your face already. It's pretty. Can I not talk to my savior face-to-face?" Vert smiled.

"I-it's not pretty! A-and I said we're even!" Murakumo protested but then relaxed. "I'm sorry, Vert. But… every girl has her secrets. But… maybe one day…"

* * *

Ram sat against a support, facing out towards large glass windows. Opening a locket in the shape of a triangle, a light tear dropped from her eye as a picture of Rom and a cutoff segment of Blanc's hand could be seen. A light tapping broke her from her trance as she turned to see Minori who had pulled out a chair from a round table, motioning for Ram to sit down. "Your yummies will get cold."

Ram silently got up slowly walking over to where the chair was, sitting in awkward silence across from Minori, who looked down, not paying attention to Ram. Ram opened the lid to her Ramen, blowing on the soup, the awkward silence as thick as the steam from her bowl. "Iii… wanna thank you for… saving us back there." Ram watched as Minori slowly looked up from the Taiyaki she was munching on, to which Ram found her eyes awkwardly looking away. "Your… sweet wheel was… pretty cool."

"Thanks…" Minori replied, another awkward silence followed before Minori responded once more. "But… Minori not only one who save us. Your ice helped us a lot."

"I… suppose." Ram looked down awkwardly, still unsure of what to say. For a while, the distant chatter of Vert and Murakumo and the rain battering the windows was the only thing to be heard. As Ram ate some of her soup, she said. "This… soup is different from the um… Loweean one I'm used to. It's veryyy… sweet and less… rubbery…" an awkward sweatdrop formed over Ram as Minori tilted her head at her. _Jeez, can this dopey kid even understand me?_

Ram let her thought go, relinquishing pride floated on sighing breath as she looked down at the table away from Minori. "Look I… I'm… s-sorry. For… e-earlier. I just… miss my sisters. Especially my twin. She's somewhere out there and I thought she'd turn up shortly but now I… I don't know what to do or where I'm at or if… if she's okay." Ram's voice cracked as she choked on her words.

"You think they come back?" Minori asked.

Ram looked up towards Minori, who's eyes were looking down at her food. "Well. I-i-I mean of course! My sisters are just as strong if not stronger than me so, Y-yeah! They'll be fine!"

"Minori used to think the same thing… but then mommy and daddy never came back one day." Minori said, still not taking her eyes off her Taiyaki as she took another bite.

"I… I didn't know… s-sorry." Ram again looked away, unsure of what to say to Minori.

"It's okay. Minori hopes you find your sisters."

Ram nodded, trying to find a way to change the subject when she couldn't help but notice Minori's Taiyaki. "What kind of fish are you eating exactly? You just fry the whole thing?"

"It's no fish. It's a Taiyaki fish cake!" Minori replied.

"Ew, that sounds gross!"

"Nuh uh! It's sweet! Try some!" Minori ripped off a piece of Taiyaki, handing it over to Ram, who hesitated at first, but then opened wide, chewing down onto a waffle-like batter with the sweet taste of juicy, red beans within.

"Whoa. We don't have anything like this back in Gamindustri. It's… delish!"

"I told you!" Minori smiled.

"Like Wowee. I wish I could bring a recipe back to Lowee. Then maybe I could hear Mina be like 'wow, even better than Mina!'" Ram grinned with sparkles in her eyes.

"What's this Lowee you keep mentioning? Is it some kind of yummy?" Minori asked.

Ram shook her head, "Mm, mm. Lowee is my home. But we make all sorts of yummies, er… FOOD there. Stalbone Meat, Pocket Puffs, and all kinds of mushrooms which will send your taste buds to dreamland."

Finally, Minori and Ram found a way to chat amongst each other, casually talking of food, which drifted into other topics until the two grew tired, going back to find a couch near Murakumo and Vert respectively.

As Ram laid down across from Vert, the latter spoke up. "I'm glad you decided to get along with the little one. See, was that so hard, Ram?" Vert smiled.

"Ah! W-well I… we ought to be nice to our allies right!?" Ram stammered, drawing forth a chuckle from Vert.

"Yes, of course. Ram, might you wanna rest up here with me?" Vert said, motioning for Ram to join her.

"But you're hurt!"

"Nonsense. Your healing spell has been doing wonders, I feel better already and should be back to 100% by tomorrow." Vert smiled gently, again motioning with her hands to come over.

Ram hesitated at first, but walked over, resting the back of her head against Vert's warm bosom. After a bit, the little Loweean candidate turned on her side, looking up at Vert. "Hey Vert. Do you think we'll find Blanc and Rom? Or any of the others?"

Vert's silence stifled the air, uncertain of the answer herself. When Ram called out her name again, Vert brought her hand behind the little goddess's head, gently combing her hair. "Of course, we will. They are your sisters after all. Rom may be quiet, but she's a smart one. I know she'll be alright. And Blanc is a tenacious warrior if I ever knew one. And hard-headed to a fault." Vert mumbled the last part.

"What was that?" Ram asked.

"Oh, uh. Nothing." Vert smiled. "Just rest your head, Ram. We've all had quite a day."


	29. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Mission: Infiltrate Gokudō!

Despite the comforting and warm colors decorating the supposed psychotherapy center, Compa's heart pounded, trying not to stare as she expected any one of these smiling staff members to jump out at them with a knife. But the rest of the Hanzo girls, Asuka, Hibari, Yagyu, and Katsuragi all simply followed the boy in with their delivery; smiling and waving at the staff members, one of whom blushed at Hibari until Yagyu shot him a glare.

They followed the man into a standard office lounge. A smooth wooden desk greeted them first, which was adorned with a coffee maker, printer, and several pictures. Two women in suit dresses greeted them and began helping them take the boxes. Another suited boy walked in, slightly older than Katsu, Compa guessed. Approaching Asuka, he handed her a clipboard. "Thank you very much. I'll just need you to sign here, please."

"Certainly." Asuka smiled, taking the clipboard.

Compa's eyes began to wander when she heard the man's voice, noticing him looking at Asuka's name tag. Though as far as Compa knew, it could have been at Asuka's slightly unbuttoned top, which just barely showed off a bit of cleavage. "Kinkos, is it? Tell me, how is Mr. Kurosama these days?"

"Ah, the president. He's doing very well." Asuka smiled.

"Yes. He's a very respectable man. Always working late to make sure things run like clockwork." Katsuragi added.

"That is wonderful to hear." The boy smiled. "Although… you must be new on the staff. As it pains me to inform you that Mr. Kurosama retired nearly a month ago. As did our contract with Kinko's Delivery and Packaging." A moment of silence followed as the boy turned around slowly, the girls exchanging anxious eye glances.

"Yes, we are new." Yagyu simply replied. "2nd day on the job for most of us. Though Hibari here is on her 3rd." Yagyu gave Hibari a pat on the shoulder, to which she smiled and giggled.

"The website told us that Mr. Kurosama was still the president." Katsuragi shrugged.

"Ah, do suppose they aren't very good at keeping their site updated. Last time someone touched it was 4 months ago. If sites weren't digital, theirs would surely accumulate dust." The boy chuckled, the Hanzo girls laughing in agreement. The boy's eyes dropped as did his tone, slowly beginning to pace around the room. "Although… even if you were misinformed about our contract ending, one, a requirement of 1 year of working for Kinkos was mandatory for our contract and two… Out of respect for Mr. Kurosama, our contract with Kinkos ended and all management staff at the company knew this. So, do you ladies mind telling me who from the Awaji Psychotherapy Center placed an order from Kinkos?"

"Sorry sir, I'm afraid not. The managers only tell us names if they're individual clients and not businesses unless specifically requested." Asuka took a slight bow, meanwhile Compa walked towards the one of the office girls who was picking up the box.

"Ah yes, of course. Mind if I see a business card then, miss?" the boy asked, to which Asuka pulled one out of her pocket. Handing it to him, the boy proceeded to call the number on the business card. As he began speaking on the phone, the Hanzo girls and Compa exchanged glances with one another, with Compa then insisting she help the office girls to open the box.

"I see… no calls from our establishment in your record and… oh. You say you hired new employees nearly 3 days ago but none of them are scheduled for today? I see… well thank you very much, you have a nice-…" the boy looked back, seeing Compa helping the girl open the box. "HEY!"

He began to rush at Compa with a short blade from his sleeve pocket, but it was too late. With a grunt, she forced the box open, pulling the pins of several smoke grenades. Katsuragi thrust her foot upward, knocking the knife out of the boy's hands. As the room filled with smoke, the other boy donned brass knuckles, while one girl pulled a wakizashi from her sleeve, the other pulling a small handgun.

"Ah! Excuse me!" Hibari cried, pretending to trip onto the girl with the handgun, knocking her down. A few loose shots went off, almost hitting one of the boys, but Hibari wrestled the girl down, forcing the gun from her hand.

Yagyu and Katsuragi quickly disarmed the Gokudō thugs and knocked them out, leaving only the petrified office girl with the wakizashi, nervously shaking. "Don't… come any closer! I-I-I'm not afraid to use this!"

Just then her blade was yanked out of her hand by Compa. "Please refrain from waving around sharp objects, miss. You might hurt yourself and others." Compa smiled, the girl shrieked, placing her hands over her head.

"Now tell us. Where is Ikaruga?" Yagyu asked, grabbing the girl by the shirt collar. The girl stuttered incomprehensibly when the silhouettes of several more suited boys rushed down the hallway. "Never mind." Yagyu dropped the girl, as the rest of them moved through the smoke, ambushing the Gokudō grunts one by one.

* * *

The open woods of Awaji Island, serene and still, were suddenly disrupted by strong, mechanical winds which causing the bushes to bend over and the trees to shiver. Homura and Hikage hopped off of their ride, which consisted of a giant mecha-like robot of red, blue, gold, and white. "Um… Miss Yomi. You can let go now." CFW Brave looked on the side of his arm to see a chatter-toothed, blue in the face Yomi clinging onto his arm for dear life, despite putting his arm down.

"Aand there she goes again." Hikage climbed up upon Brave's arm, grabbing onto Yomi's stomach and yanking.

Dizzy swirls replaced Yomi's eyes. "NONONONONO! You're crazy! HE'S crazy! We're all gonna die! I don't wanna die, so stop stop stop, Hikage!"

"Don't be such a bitch, Yomi. Come ooooon." Hikage whined flatly.

Homura folded her arms, letting a sigh past her sympathetic smile before also climbing up on Brave. With both of them yanking on her, Yomi fell with a yelp before all three hit the ground. Homura held her head, pushing herself to her feet, patting her friend's shoulder. "Jeez. You're alright, Yomi."

"Can we take the train home?" Yomi muttered.

"It was nice working with you, CFW Brave. I wish you luck." Homura shook Brave's hand.

"Aye. And to you, miss Homura. And Miss Yomi and Mirai and Hikage and Haruka."

Yomi shook her head of the nauseous dizziness. "It is a shame we could not get better acquainted, Sir Brave. I feel we could help one another with all the craziness going on."

"As do I, Miss Yomi." Brave then stood up. "I only hope that we do not meet as enemies one day, that instead we may fight on the same side."

"That sounds like a nice gesture. Though one can also learn much and understand one another from fighting." Hikage said through a barely noticeable grin.

"I am not sure I understand. But I will keep your words in my databanks, miss Hikage. Good luck to you all." As the others wished him luck too, Brave then bid them goodbye before departing into the sky. The Crimson girls then turned their attention towards the city in the distance.

* * *

Compa and Team Hanzo had since knocked out the rest of the grunts, except for one, which Katsuragi held up by the shirt collar as she glared into his eyes. "For the last time, where is Ikaruga!?"

The thug coughed. "Fine, I'll tell you. We sent her through the mountain pass."

"What mountain? There are no mountains on Awaji!" Katsuragi looked annoyed, the boy then laughed.

"Through the milk mountain pass." As he finished, the boy stuck his hand in between Katsuragi's beachballs, causing her eyes to pop. A gasping 'eep' could be heard from Katsu before she punched the boy in the gut with her other hand, knocking him out.

"Have to commend him for that one." Yagyu commented.

"Whose side are you on!?" Katsu growled, red with frustrated embarrassment. Compa folded her arms, bending over in laughter.

"I wish Ikaruga were here to see that." Asuka smiled, but soon after refocused herself. "Alright, so it looks like we're gonna have to split up. So Yagyu, you come with me and Katsu go with Compa and Hibari."

"That's not a good idea!" Yagyu quickly interjected.

"What is it now, Yagyu?" Katsu folded her arms, a vein popping from her head.

"Compa's got sharp needles and…" Yagyu stopped for a moment, "Hibari's… clumsy, so she might trip on them! So, I better go with her!"

"Heeeeyyyy!" Hibari pouted, sticking her hands on her hips

"Methinks Yaggie still doesn't trust me." Compa replied.

"You have to let it go, Yagyu." Asuka put a gentle hand on Yagyu's shoulder, but the latter immediately twisted away.

"And let something happen to her just like Nozomi?! No, I should go with her!"

"Yagyuuu." Asuka sighed, "Even if Compa wasn't trustworthy, that's why Katsu-ne's going along."

Yagyu let out a grunt. "Katsu… would just go groping her."

"Yagyu, I'm gettin' real close to knockin' your lights out. This is NOT THE TIME TO BE GETTING YOUR PANTIES IN A WAD, so chill the HELL OUT!" Katsu snapped.

"And why don't you calm your milk mountains, miss touchy feely." Yagyu retorted.

"You selfish worm! Don't you care about Ikaruga!?"

"Don't you care about Hibari!?"

"I do, which is exactly why I KNOW you shouldn't go with her cause all you do is baby her!"

"Like you know what I've BEEN THROUGH!" Yagyu raised her voice.

"Katsuragi's right, Yaggie! I know you love Hibbi, but this kind of stubbornness isn't helping anyone."

"You shut up! And don't call me Yaggie! You're lucky we even let you come with us. If it were up to me, I'd have dumped you off the train!" Yagyu yelled.

Compa's anger soon turned into saddened eyes, which drooped down to the ground. Hibari frowned sadly, "Yagyu! Stop it! You been nothing but mean to Compa!"

"But I-… Hibari…" Yagyu began stuttering.

"UGH! Come on, Asuka!" a frustrated Katsuragi grabbed Asuka's hand, pulling her along. "Let Mommy Yaggie go with her baby! I'LL go with you to find Ikaruga!"

"Let's just go." Yagyu said, walking off in another direction, Hibari and Compa exchanging worried glances.

* * *

Hibari, Compa, and Yagyu battled their way through crowds of Gokudō grunts up to the 2nd floor. Trying to avoid killing any unless necessary, they questioned them one after another for where Ikaruga was. Fed up with the endless wave of 'I don't know' or 'it's not my place', Yagyu pointed one of the sharp ends of her umbrella at a terrified Gokudō boy. "Tell me WHERE IKARUGA IS or I'll bleed you like a stuck pig!" the boy cried out, swearing he didn't know because it wasn't his job. "I grow tired of your excuses. Now you'll suffer for your insolence."

Yagyu nearly thrust the bladed umbrella rib into the boy's neck when her weapon was deflected upward by a giant needle. "He doesn't know! Can't you tell by how frightened he is?" Compa yelled.

"He's also the ENEMY. Now are you going to help us or just get in our way too!?" Yagyu growled.

"Yagyu, stop! You're not yourself lately! What's wrong!?" Hibari grabbed Yagyu's arm.

"What's wrong is nobody understands me and this needle wench is turning my Hibari against me!" Yagyu yelled, a loose tear squeezing from her eyelid.

"Hey! You barely even know me! How can you make such nasty accusations when I've been trying to help you this entire way!" Compa stuck her needle into the ground, leaning on it.

"Yagyu no! It's not true!" Hibari begged.

"Then… why have you been saying such hurtful things, Hibari?" Yagyu glanced sadly over towards her.

Hibari began to stutter when Compa spoke up, "Hibbi doesn't mean to be hurtful, miss Yagyu."

"What do you know about us?!" Yagyu grunted.

"That you're all gonna pay for this now!" one of the injured grunts who was still conscious shouted. The girls then turned their attention down the hallway as several more grunts approached. Among them was a short boy with spiky, blue hair and a set of goggles over his head. An orange hoodie and baggy jeans made him stand out from the other suited thugs.

"Aw, man. Looks like we got company." the blue haired boy said. The boy who'd almost gotten stuck by Yagyu had crawled up to the new boy, bowing his head. "Go recover and bring some health kits back for the others, I'll take things from here."

The boy then let out a short gasp, his cocky smile now forming a serious demeanor. "I've been waiting for this day… sister."

Hibari's eyes trembled widely "S-Suraku?"

"Guess who's a shinobi now? Betcha never expected that." Suraku's confident smirk returned as he tossed his phone up and down casually.

"SURAKU!" Hibari suddenly ran forward, crying, proceeding to hug Suraku. "They all said you committed suicide!"

"Get your hands off me!" Without warning, Suraku sent an electric fist into Hibari's stomach, sending her rolling back towards Compa and Yagyu, who cried out her name simultaneously and rushed to her side.

"Yeah, that's what they were all supposed to believe. That their actions caused my demise." Suraku began slowly pacing back and forth. "Nobody picked up on it. Why would they when the local media confirmed he was gone? That is until I tried to steal from a Gokudo shinobi. Pranked him real good at first, but then they kept sending more thugs after me until I was finally caught. The Oyabun realized who I was, saw potential in me, and I've been climbing the ranks ever since."

"You… You're horrible!" Compa shouted.

"What kind of brother fakes his own death?! Do you not realize the pain you could have cause them!?" Yagyu gritted her teeth towards the boy.

"Do you not realize the pain they caused ME!? OF COURSE NOT! You know nothing about me! They never gave half a damn for me anyways!"

"That's not true." Hibari muttered, sitting up. "I know they treated you harshly. Sometimes meanly even. But after we all thought you died, so many of them began to regret what had been done. We miss you, Suraku! I miss you! You were the only one I talked to whom I could-…"

"Shut up! You stole the one thing from me that would make them see me differently! They thought I was worthless. It was my only chance! But once the Kagan appeared in your eyes, it was all over. And it was only a matter of time before even you forgot about me. The one person who ACTUALLY CARED AND SHE FORGOT ONCE SHE BECAME MISS IMPORTANT!" a couple of loose tears floated to Suraku's eyes, the other grunts looking down, one of them gently touching Suraku's shoulder. Yagyu and Compa found themselves at a loss for words.

Hibari's lips trembled, her eyes watering softly from the aching garden of her heart. "I… gave up a lot of things I didn't want to because of these stupid eyes, Suraku. It hasn't been easy for me either."

"Then I guess it won't matter for you to give up one more thing." Suraku rushed forward, the tips of his taser phone igniting. Hibari watched as he swiftly leapt onto the wall and off again towards her. A sudden clang, and Suraku was sent flying backwards. Compa, a bit dazed at what happened, shook her head to see Yagyu standing in front of Hibari, with her umbrella out. "I don't care who the hell you are, but you STAY OUTTA MY WAY! Do NOT interfere with domestic business!"

"I am Yagyu of Hanzo. And I am the one who will allow no harm to come to Hibari! If you want at her, you'll have to go through me." Yagyu stated.

"Oh, so you got yourself a lapdog, sister. What, are you so powerful that you send others to do your bidding?!" Suraku seethed.

"You poor thing. You have old wounds that never healed." Compa frowned.

"Yagyu, no." Hibari got up, grabbing Yagyu's arm. "I appreciate all you've done for me. But please, I have to do this on my own. This is between me and Suraku." Yagyu was left speechless, merely watching as Hibari walked past her towards her brother. A tense silence filled the room, Hibari hesitantly taking a fighting stance. "I don't wanna do this, Suraku."

"We all gotta do things we don't want to at some point." Suraku glared seriously at Hibari, taking his own fighting stance. "I am Suraku. I help the weak and fight the strong! SECRET NINJA ART!" Quickly hopping upon a skateboard, he flew straight for Hibari in a burst of electricity, smashing through the wall.

While managing to evade a head-on assault, Hibari was still knocked backwards, tumbling out of the building with Suraku to the ground below. Yagyu's eyes throbbed in fright, hyperventilating as she ran over towards the billowing dust of the gaping hole in the wall. "HIBARIIII!"


	30. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Whispers of the Enemy

The billowing dust from the recently caved wall stung Yagyu's good eye and choked her lungs. "Hibar-… _hack, hack_. Hi-HIBARI! _Hack, hack, hack._" She swiped at the air, trying to clear the dust. Yagyu fell on one knee, the dust scratching at her lungs as they expelled violent coughs. As the dust began to settle, one Gokudō thug attempted to rush Yagyu with a long knife, but he was intercepted by Compa, who met his blade with her giant needle. Below, Yagyu called out Hibari's name once more, seeing her on a golden cloud with her rabbit, Ninto.

"I'm fine, Yagyu! Worry about yourself and Compa!" Hibari called out before dashing off. Suraku grumbled something Yagyu couldn't make out, rushing after Hibari on his skateboard.

"Hibari, come back!" Yagyu readied to jump below to the ground, hoping to catch Hibari when a pair of arms restrained her.

"Miss Yagyu, don't! We have more important matters right now!" Compa grunted, holding her back.

"You let go! Hibari needs me!" Yagyu grunted, frantically squirming in Compa's grip.

"But Hibbi wanted you to stay here!" Compa's arms struggled to hold Yagyu back.

"Back off! I know what's best for her!" Too busy with each other, Yagyu and Compa were suddenly tackled to the ground by the Gokudō grunts, who pinned their limbs down.

"It's a shame we gotta eliminate you. You girls are pretty cute." One grunt said.

"I say we oughtta have a little bit of fun with them. Be a shame to completely waste such faces." Another grunt said, smirking. At this, the grunts began to quarrel amongst themselves, as one half said that it was dishonorable and not the Gokudō way. Yagyu writhed, trying to squeeze out of their grasp, but it only made them tighten their grip on her. "Ya see? I say this one's in need of some punishment." The pervy grunt chuckled.

"No don't. Punish me instead." Compa said, getting the grunts' attention. "I'll do whatever you want. Just… please be gentle." Compa looked away, giving them a teary-eyed blush.

"Well then, that's a good girl. Might wanna learn from your friend a bit." The pervy grunt smirked, pinching Yagyu's nose. As the other grunts let go, the pervy grunt then climbed on top of Compa, running his hands up her sides.

Certain he had let his guard down, Compa swiftly sent her knee into his crotch, flipping him over and getting up all in one smooth motion. "My family jewels!" the pervy grunt squeaked, falling over. Compa demonstrated her hand-to-hand combat skills, countering one grunt with a punch-kick combo before swiftly dodging another and kicking him into the wall.

Compa shrieked as another grunt grabbed her from behind, his arm placing her in a chokehold. But as that grunt had gotten off Yagyu to relieve his comrades, the Hanzo shinobi saw her opportunity and wrestled the distracted grunts off of her, picking up her umbrella.

Compa tried struggled and kicked but felt herself losing consciousness as the grunt choked her. "Nice try, girly. But this is the last time you cross Gokudō Boys AcademYYYY!" The grunt who had her screamed, Compa gasping for air as she fell to the ground, noticing a trail of ice running down the grunts back and onto his rear.

As Yagyu dealt with the grunt, Compa crawled over to retrieve her syringe, pulling herself to her feet. "Thank you, Yaggie." Compa gave a short smile.

Yagyu looked back, a moment of silence following before her eyes drifted downward. "No. I should be thanking you. And I… I'm sorry. For treating you with such hostility. I am… sure you just wish to know what's happening and that you… care about Hibari too."

"Miss Yagyu. We both want what's best for Hibbi. But sometimes it's better to listen to our loved ones." Compa's gentle tone made Yagyu give her a slight glance, to which Compa patted her shoulder.

As the Gokudo grunts began to get up, a few more suited grunts arrived. "I guess we got our hands full anyways." Yagyu replied. Compa nodded, the two then taking a battle stance. "You boys wanna rumble? Then let's do this!"

* * *

Asuka and Katsuragi steamrolled through Gokudō Academy, beating down hordes of gangsters in their wake before questioning them and knocking them out. But as they cleared up another room, a group of four higher ranking Gokudō boys continued to give them some trouble. The leader named Akashi, a redhead with orange sunglasses and a deep blue suit, swung his custom pen knife while grinning. "What's the matter? Is the girly girl too afraid to actually finish off her foes, eh?"

"We don't want war with Gokudō Academy. We just want our friend back! Now where is Ikaruga?" Asuka held a stance, ready for any sudden movements.

Akashi continued spinning his pen knives on his finger. "You think we'd tell you even if we knew? You don't know how things work here at Gokudo Academy. The weak serve the strong, and they all know their place."

"Then we'll just have to beat it out of you!" Katsuragi clenched her fists.

Akashi echoed a condescending laugh, "You really are a dumb blonde, aren't you? Don't you get it? You'll get no information from us. If you think you can just muscle your way through everything, you'll never be a shinobi. Just a dumb, brutish bitch who does someone else's bidding."

Katsu's gritted teeth opened to let out a raging scream, rushing towards the group of higher shinobi with a flying kick. Knocking away two of them, Katsuragi began to duel with Akashi, who's fast knife strikes kept her at a distance. The third tried to grab Katsu by the leg, but received an elbow to the face, knocking him back.

Before the other gangsters could get up, they were met with the blunt hilt of Asuka's swords, rendering them unconscious. The third shinobi regained his composure and rushed Asuka with a set of spiked brass knuckles. Katsuragi called out to Asuka just as she dodged, grabbing the shinobi in a chokehold. "No, Katsu-ne! You look out!"

"Eh?!" Katsu moved back, but just barely in time as Akashi's knife left a small cut right below her right breast. Katsuragi grunted, noticing the small bit of blood on her hand as she held the spot.

"I know it might be hard to relate to, but it pays to be sharp, right blondie?" Akashi smirked.

"You're nothing. I've dealt with knife wielding foes far deadlier than you." Katsu replied, a dead serious complexion growing over her.

"Considering you're still alive, they must have had the courtesy enough to not pick fights with the mentally challenged." Akashi's continued, more aggressive smirk only made Katsuragi put more force behind her kicks, eventually making Akashi lose his balance, to which Katsuragi saw her chance.

"Secret Ninja Art, CROSS PANZER!" with a green aura embellishing her boots, a swift kick sent Akashi's pen knife from his hands into a wooden beam. Continuing her onslaught, she landed a hard kick to the gangster's stomach, sending him rolling on the ground before stopping at a wall.

Akashi gasped for air. "Not… bad…"

"We'll see who's the dumb one now!" Katsuragi rushed at the downed shinobi, despite Asuka's cries of objection. Jumping into the air, she brought down her foot in an axe kick, but ended slipping as Akashi rolled over. Akashi then swiftly grabbed a set of books from a bookshelf, bringing them down in an odd manner when Asuka realized that it was actually a hidden lever.

Katsu screamed as a trap door opened below her. "Katsu-ne!" Asuka called out before facing the higher shinobi, who got to his feet.

"Shoulda surrendered yourself when you had the chance, Jugs." Akashi pulled a real book out from the shelf, before reaching behind to grab a small handgun. "You'd have made for a cute who-… AUGH!" Before she even realized what she did, Asuka had rushed forward, slicing Akashi in the knee and cutting off his right hand.

Asuka's shivering goosebumps seemed to grow as time halted her breath. Akashi's agonizing groans with the dripping blood of his dismembered hand on the ground were like demons which scratched at her eyes and ears.

"What's… the matter, girl? First time… ya ever dismember someone? Have you even killed a person yet? Let me guess. First real major mission outside of school, eh? They try to make you think the world's all puppies and rainbows. That there's glory in being a good shinobi. The truth is, we all become like dust before the wind. So, do us both a favor… finish me… forget all that good shinobi crap… and wake up to reality." Akashi's breath was heavy as Asuka's pounding heart.

Asuka closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "I will not shed unnecessary blood if I can avoid it. I do not want war with your Academy. If you won't tell me where Ikaruga is, I will find her myself." Not daring to look at Akashi, Asuka sheathed her Wakizashi, leaving him. Akashi silently stood up in rage, drawing a short razor from his sleeve with his left hand, aiming to plunge the blade into Asuka's back.

* * *

Yagyu bashed the last grunt against a wall with her elbow, dusting her hands as she noticed Compa had put her syringe down. "Alright. We've taken care of things here. Let's go help Hibari."

"But what about your friend, Ikaruga? Were we not supposed to find her and make sure she's alright?" Compa asked.

"We will. But Hibari might be in trouble! You want to help her, don't you?!"

"Of course, I do. But sometimes you just need to let a person grow without interference. Especially when it's among family. Besides, that's kind of selfish to everyone."

Yagyu let out a frustrated grunt. _Damn this Compa. Whose side is she on?! I can't figure her out! "Isn't it obvious? She is subtly trying to drive a wedge between all of Hanzo." _Yagyu suddenly turned, hearing a soothing voice. "Who's there!?"

Compa grabbed her syringe, looking around frantically. "What was it, Yaggie? I didn't hear anything."

The voice continued, _"Don't worry yourself so much. I am a part of you. Let's just call me… your conscience. I feel your frustration with that Compa. I fear she will be the downfall of your beloved school." Yeah, I don't trust her. But bring down the entire school? Maybe my love for Hibari is making me jealous and irrational. "Are you doubting yourself now, Yagyu? After all you've been through? Compa might try to act like she cares, but because of her, Hibari will drive you away. And once you're gone, she'll move on to the others. One by one, your friends will fall apart. Hibari might be dying out there. And yet Compa refuses to let you go to her aid." _Yagyu looked up briefly as Compa tried to get her attention. Lost deep in what she believed to be her own thoughts, Compa's hand motions and chattering lips made Yagyu grit her teeth.

_But… If I do anything to her, I'll be blamed for sure. She really has gotten me in a pickle! "Or… you could just kill Compa here and now and pin the blame on those Gokudō boys. Nobody will have reason to doubt you otherwise." _A lump in Yagyu's throat began throbbing as she looked down and away, her finger stroking her chin. _"Do what's right, Yagyu. Do it for your friends. For Hibari. They are your true family; and you are theirs. You are hers." _"I… am her family." Yagyu grunted.

* * *

Compa tilted her head in confusion. "Hm? What's the matter, miss Yagyu? Your eye's looking a little blu-...AAAAHH!" Compa jumped backwards as Yagyu's umbrella swung at her in a frontal arc. "Stop it! Bad Yagyu! What's gotten into you?!"

"**I **am Hibari's family! All of Hanzo is my family. And I will not let ANYONE tear them apart! Even if that someone is a cute nurse!" A dark energy formed at the tip of Yagyu's umbrella, unleashing a barrage of dark bolts. Compa frantically dodged but one struck her shin and then her upper arm, encasing them in ice and pinning her against the wall as she yelped. "Your sorcery ends here!"

Yagyu lunged at Compa, thrusting her umbrella like a lance. Barely able to move her left arm, Compa forced her syringe up, clashing with Yagyu's umbrella and knocking her away. Using the blunt end of her weapon, she broke her right leg from the ice just in time to counter another strike from Yagyu with a high kick. But Yagyu was relentless, forcing Compa to block one of her umbrella blades by having it jam itself into the side of Compa's syringe until Compa kicked Yagyu off again.

With a yell, Compa broke her arm free from the ice. "Get ahold of yourself, Yaggie! What would Hibbi say if she saw you acting like this!?"

"Shut up! You know nothing about her or me or any of us! And I told you to quit calling me Yaggie!" Yagyu yelled, a dark flare emitting from her eye.

"I didn't wanna have to do this. But I'm gonna knock some sense up in you!"

"How perverted." Yagyu muttered.

"Wha-… HEY! That is not what I meant!" Compa pouted. As the tip of Yagyu's umbrella glowed of a dark aura once more, Compa took aim, a pink energy heart forming from her syringe. "You need to open up your heart, Yagyu! Compa Love Heart!"

As Yagyu unleashed another barrage of darkness, Compa's heart blocked the attacks, continuing to move closer to Yagyu, whom struck at it with her umbrella. A yelp of pain left Yagyu's mouth as the heart exploded in a pink cloud upon being struck. Knocked on the ground, Yagyu groaned, holding her head. "Are you alright now, Yaggie?" Compa asked.

But a low growl echoed from Yagyu's vocal cords. "This is only the beginning!" Compa watched as Yagyu then jumped upwards, backing away when she came down with her umbrella. Compa went on the defensive, as Yagyu Swung her bladed umbrella left, right, and upward, raining a small fountain of ice bolts down. At one point, Compa found her syringe in a lock with Yagyu's umbrella.

"You're not yourself, Yaggie! Something's wrong, snap out of it!" Compa shouted.

Seeing Compa's eyes, Yagyu's thoughts began drifting back to Hibari when the soft voice of her conscience spoke again. _"Don't let her lies deceive you. You started this. Now finish it."_ Yagyu yelled, forcing Compa back and attempting to punch her.

Compa's eyes grew into angry, cartoonish circles. "Yaggie… You. Need. A spanking! Desu, Desu, DESU!" Compa swung her syringe around rapidly, as though dancing like a ballerina. Caught off guard, Yagyu struggled to defend as she began losing her balance in wake of the spinning needle.

Compa's final spin came to a halt, "Take the Full Power of my compressed liquid!" A shot from the syringe sent a screaming Yagyu flying back and off her feet, stripping large portions of her jacket, revealing her arm and shoulder, as well as exposing her smooth torso. Compa ran up, leaping into the air. "Forgive me, Yagyu!"

"AAUUURRGH! SWEEPING LEGS!" before Compa could come down upon her, a giant, blue squid appeared, smashing through the ceiling, and knocking out even more of the wall until a large gaping hole in the side of the building revealed the midday sky. With each rapid spin of the squid's tentacles, Compa's outfit began to tear, stripping apart large portions of her garments from her bouncing bust, curvy waist, and soft arms and legs, before tossing her back, leaving only a little bit of her skirt, her under-top, and one of her sleeves intact.

The rubble from the unstable ceiling above began to fall on Yagyu, summoning clouds of dust. Groaning, Compa began to get off her back, an eerie silence following as she attempted to force herself to her feet. Using her syringe, she managed to get on one knee. A flash and Compa was soon back on her back as a fist to her lower jaw seemed to leap from the shadows. Compa saw Yagyu lunging for her again, instinctively using her syringe to bash Yagyu in the face.

Compa's sore muscles then compiled all her energy into a swift flip onto her feet, swinging her syringe around before stabbing Yagyu in the thigh. A crying wail echoed from Yagyu's mouth as she fell, holding her leg. "Please. You left me no choice, Yagyu." Compa sadly shook, gripping her syringe.

Yagyu opened her eye, glaring at Compa, who could now clearly see her small pupil glowing a burning blue. "You cannot stop what is to come… Now stay away from Hanzo. Stay away from my Hibari!"

"I don't know what's happening to you Yagyu, but I am going to save you no matter what!" Compa then looked to the open sky from the hole in the building, aiming her syringe upward. A gleaming glow formed on the tip of the needle. "BREAD CRUUUUMBS!" A beam of light shot into the sky, the recoil knocking Compa on her feet.

"Bread… crumbs?" Yagyu gave a confused squint when the boom of a heart shaped firework with a "C" in the center erupted into the sky. What followed was a bright volley of neon-pink beams raining down. While she tried to roll, the beams struck her in a painful, shock-like spike, ripping a part of her sleeve, her skirt, her undercoat, her socks, all one by one stripping her down.

"Come back to us, Yagyu! Come back to your friends. To Hibari." Compa said as one final beam, shot down. Yagyu roared out in agony, the beam completely stripping her bare as her boingy bits and nether regions were exposed. Luckily, censorship light bars go on vacation when it comes to fanfictions.

Yagyu crumpled to her knees, Compa running over to catch her as she lost balance. With the blue light gone, Yagyu opened her eye. "I'm… sorry. I'm sorry."

"There, there. I'll heal you." Compa spoke softly.

"Com… pa… thank… you." Yagyu's vision then faded to black, letting herself go limp in Compa's arms.


	31. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 30

Chapter 30: The Storm of Siblings

An electric jolt stunned Hibari's body as she fell out the side of the wall. Bouncing off of something fluffy before rolling back into the grass, bending her neck and scraping her legs and back on the debris of shattered bricks. Next thing she knew, her muscles crying and she was face down in the dirt, just outside the Gokudō building. Forcing herself to her knees, she saw her rabbit, Ninto, who had summoned his golden cloud to prevent Hibari's head from hitting the bulk of the debris.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she called the fluffy, pink, buck-toothed rabbit over, where his cartoony looking eyes met her cheek as she nuzzled him. "Thanks, Ninto." But no shorter than Ninto hopped into her arms, did he leap behind Hibari away from a bolt of blue electricity which shot from the settling dust cloud.

The silhouette of Hibari's brother emerged, a brief spark emitting from his hands to his hair. "Well look at you. You always wanted a rabbit, Hibari. He's dorkier than I expected. But a perfect fit for you, I'd say."

"Why, little brother?" Hibari felt a stinging sadness in her eyes as she looked Suraku in the face. "What will you get out of fighting me?"

"Defeating you will be a milestone in my path to become one of the strongest shinobi ever." Suraku began pacing. "After I accomplish that and Gokudo takes control of all Kobe, I'll take down the entire Nobugawa family, one by one. If I can't have Kagan, I'll defeat Kagan."

Hibari gasped. "You can't! They're still your family too!"

"They're all dead to me. You're all dead to me! And I to all of you!" Suraku growled.

"No! You're not! Stop this, Suraku!" Hibari's eyes shook somberly.

"You're gonna have to use your power to stop me, sister. But know that I am NOT the kid you once knew! I will not go down without a fight!"

Hibari's face dropped, her eyes closing with a frown. _Oh, Suraku. I guess there's no way out of this. Still, I'm a Hanzo shinobi on a mission. If anything, I can at least lead him away from the others. _Hibari opened her eyes, mustering any resolve she could. Hibari performed a backwards flip onto her little golden cloud with Ninto. "Alright, Suraku. You wanna fight me? Then catch me!" Hibari then looked up towards the broken wall, as Yagyu called out to her. "I'm fine, Yagyu! Worry about yourself and Compa! Let's go, Ninto!"

As Hibari dashed off on her cloud, Suraku grabbed his skateboard. "So, now you're running away?! I won't ALLOW IT, SISTER!" pulling his pair of green goggles over his eyes, jolts of electricity scampered across his body as he sped off after her.

Hibari held onto the front of the cloud, Ninto's head sticking out of it as his little hands controlled the levers which jutted out of the front of the cloud. "Slow down, Ninto! We want him to follow, not lose hi-… EEP!" Ninto's eyes bulged pupil-less as a bolt of blue lightning shot by Hibari and Ninto's head. Hibari looked back as the small, blue-haired shinobi began gaining on them. "AH! Speed up, Ninto, speed up!"

Ninto pulled back on one lever, pushing forward with another, making the cloud whip around a street corner and down a back-alley way, twisting and curving around narrow building passages to the point where Hibari yelped, nearly falling off. Hibari felt herself gripping the cloud with all her might, in the same manner in which her lungs felt gripped by a lack of air, making her hyperventilate.

As Ninto whipped around the corner, the burst of wind created sent an umbrella table and it's chairs upward, forcing a nearby car to stop as the two tails of electricity dash around the corner and onto a long, coastal town street. Suraku continued to hurl bolts of lightning at the cloud, forcing Hibari and Ninto to zigzag down the street as he struck mailboxes and street posts.

Up a dirt path and through the trail of a park, Hibari looked back with shock as Suraku continued trailing her. "How is he so fast?! No one's ever been able to keep up with Ninto like this!" Hibari and Suraku dashed by a group of people in a park opening, leaping over a fountain and almost hitting a couple in the park.

But as Hibari gave a polite 'excuse me', Suraku shouted, "Outta my way, chumps!" The two continued rushing through, going off the main path and into a thick forest. As Ninto zig-zagged through thick woods, a flying piece of bark hit Hibari in the back of the head, leaving a welt. More bark flew off the trees from Suraku's bolts of lightning.

All across the island of Awaji, the twin trails of electricity could be seen like a couple of raging fireflies, dashing around in haphazard patterns of gold and cyan. Through forests, canyons, villages both modern and traditional, the chase continued. Hibari patted Ninto's head as she felt his panting. "You'll be alright, Ninto. Just hang in there a little more. We need to wear him down."

Suraku then dashed over a hill, skateboarding downward into the canyon after Hibari. "Why… won't you USE YOUR POWER!?" With a yell, Suraku leapt off his skateboard, grabbing onto the edge of the cloud, and setting them all off balance. Hibari, Ninto, and Suraku were all sent rolling in the dirt until they reached the bottom of the hill.

* * *

Hibari's neck strained, her mouth eating dirt as she rolled several times before landing on her face. Spitting and wincing in pain, she forced herself on her knees, crawling over to Ninto, who then hopped over to her. "Hehe. I'm glad you're okay." Hibari smiled, petting Ninto and tightening his loose bandana.

The sky then turned a dark array of bloody hues, Hibari realizing that a shinobi kekkai had been set up. Suraku walked forward, each hate-fueled step complimented only by his voice. "Now I've got you where I want you. And I won't run away. Not anymore."

"Suraku… please. I never got the chance to see you once more before they thought you… and now I…" Hibari's lips trembled as she bit them, a watery essence rising to the surface of her eyes. "How can I fight my own little brother?!"

"Because if you don't, I'll make you regret it." Suraku then took a battle stance, with a glare in his eyes Hibari had never seen before from the small boy who was once ridiculed for his pranks and love of technology. But Hibari also sensed a slight agitated fear resonating off her little brother, which dissipated as he yelled as much as his 14-year-old self could. Suraku lunged for her, the taser end of his phone lit up.

Hibari went on the defensive, dodging Suraku's relentless attacks with the help of Ninto, who would try to parry Suraku back when he could. Despite her resistance to electricity, Hibari found herself getting zapped time and time again, the pain of the shocks reflected in her brother's anger-filled eyes, causing Hibari's heart to ache.

When she finally threw a hesitant punch, Suraku grabbed her arm, holding it back tightly. Hibari's eyes met Suraku's, who's angry glare then followed a painful shock to Hibari's side as he jammed his phone taser in, tearing off the ends of her shirt. "You could have gotten me there, Hibari! Why don't you fight!?"

Another cry of pain echoed from Hibari as Suraku began to electrify her again. Ninto ran forward, leaping upon Suraku's arm and yanking him off balance until Suraku kicked him off, Ninto then vanishing in a puff of golden smoke. Hibari gasped, seeing her rabbit vanish.

"Tch. Spirit animals. Who needs them when you got the power that runs the world?" Suraku held up his phone.

"The Suraku I knew always wanted a kitty though, didn't he?" Hibari said, watching Suraku bite his lips, looking away briefly before glaring back at her.

"The Suraku you knew is dead!" Suraku shot a lightning bolt from his hand before rushing at her again, Hibari once more going on the defensive as he swung rapidly with an acrobatic display of electric kicks and taser strikes. While Hibari threw a couple kicks and punches, she largely remained on the defensive, shaken with between defending herself and striking the sibling she once considered the only one who understood her. "I've prepared long and hard for this encounter! I know what Kagan is capable of, so why won't you USE IT!?" Suraku yelled.

"Because I don't wanna fight you, Suraku!" Hibari then performed a sweeping kick, tripping Suraku up before she leapt backwards. "And even if I did, I haven't mastered it yet."

A swift front-flip into the air and Suraku was back on his feet, his eyes widened in surprise, "What?! W-… Why haven't you!?"

"You know I never wanted to inherit it in the first place. And I know what it's like to be under the influence of-…"

"You've… been under the influence?" Suraku raised an eyebrow. "Damn, and I thought I was a rebel."

"Wha!? NO, you didn't let me finish!" Hibari protested.

"I've had some before, but it tasted so bitter that I spit it out immediately all over Murasame." Suraku giggled.

"Suraku! You're not of age yet!"

"Well neither are you!"

"Okay, well I _MAY _have had one sip of osake once, but it was an accident! I thought it was strawberry juice!" Hibari's eyes squinted into an X as she shouted.

"HA! So, you are guilty!" Suraku stuck his tongue out at her.

"Just… stop it! We're getting off topic!" Hibari let out a brief sigh before looking her brother's direction. "I know what it's like to be manipulated. So how could I bring myself to use such an ability? Especially against friends and family."

Hibari watched as Suraku's head and tone dropped. "So… you don't even try to master it? Our family inheritance… Our great ancestral power… And you… don't use it!?" Suraku's hand clenched into a shaking fist. "You took the very thing from me that would have made me a proper shinobi… AND YOU DON'T EVEN TRY TO USE IT!?"

At this, Suraku lunged at her like a wild animal, swinging and kicking even more wildly than before. Hibari once more went on the defensive, finding it not only difficult for an opening, but also painful restraints holding her back from striking at someone she once would let her true feelings out to after a hard day of training. Someone she'd console in when they wanted to complain about their siblings or the way things were going in Japan, someone who she'd play with on everything from dolls to casual video games, someone she'd comfort week by week when the rest of the family would subtly shame him.

Each painful strike from Suraku tore at her both her outfit and her heart, as though exposing her tenderness to a harsh reality. With more wild and uncoordinated attacks, Suraku's rage thundered towards her, as she tried her best to defend. "ALL I EVER WANTED WAS TO NOT BE WORTHLESS IN THEIR EYES! I had one chance… and it was TAKEN FROM ME! Tell me, WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE YOU, HIBARI!? Tell me why! TELL MEEEE!" Faking Hibari out with a kick, he then shoved her with electric-induced hands, sending her rolling several times on the ground.

With short sparks zapping off of Hibari's body, she was left in little more than her undies as only shreds of her sleeve, neck, and socks remained. Hibari rose to her knees, seeing an electrified Suraku now panting heavily. "You don't know… how awful I felt… when I got the Kagan in my eyes, Suraku. It felt wrong when they all began to praise me for gaining something they all worked so hard for. I am sure that some of them felt jealousy, but they just never said anything. I wish just one of them had."

"Well, I'm saying something now, aren't I?" Suraku continued to pant.

"Oh, Suraku. I never wanted to take Kagan from you. Nor did I mean to stop talking to you." Hibari's eyes leaked from the trembling ocean of her heart.

"Then WHY DID YOU!?" Suraku yelled.

"Because… I had to stop doing everything I loved. I stopped sleeping in, baking, doing volleyball with Maori or playing tag with the twins or even spending time with my favorite little brother. You were one of the only people I could relate to, and every time you gave me a dirty glare when I'd say hello in the halls as we passed, I never understood why until now. The pressures of studying and training almost made me run away at one point. It was stressful becoming a proper shinobi. I wanted to die."

"You see why I joined the Gokudō? Because nobody else in this damn country wants to change anything but them. Even if it wasn't your fault that you got the Kagan while I was left to rot, there's nothing that can be done now… but the sweet release of death." Suraku began to take a few steps forward, when Hibari leapt to her feet, crying.

"NO! Come back, Suraku! Come back to your sister!" Hibari's voiced cracked through her tears.

"And go back to a life where my talents are not only scorned and shamed, but also useless as a shinobi!? The Suraku you knew is dead forever!" Suraku shouted.

Hibari's shook, her saddened eyes igniting with an enraged and persistent fire. "Then I will bring him back to life. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Apart from her undies, the rest of Hibari's outfit seemed to burst, as a flickering bright light adorned her hands and feet, and a glowing energy resonated off her entire body.

* * *

"Frantic, huh? So, you got some tricks up your sleeve. Let's do this… Hibari. Secret Ninja Art, Sonic Volt!" Suraku's body lit up with electricity as he dashed all over the place in a rapid, zigzag pattern. After he had finished, he looked around quickly, noticing Hibari had vanished.

A yell from behind a dirt mound and Hibari tackled Suraku to the ground, sending the two rolling. As they both rolled, Suraku kicked Hibari off. But he barely got to his feet when Hibari lunged at him again, forcing him to put his arms up in defense.

The two siblings began sparring, trading blow for blow. But Hibari's unorthodox variant of Taijutsu threw him off guard. This silly, childish-looking fighting style caused Suraku's ego to boil, making him more frustrated with every punch and kick Hibari threw at him. "Rrrr STOP THROWING SUCH STUPID PUNCHES!" Suraku yelled.

Suraku yelped, his arm felt as though it was being yanked out as Hibari flipped him over on her back, piledriving his head into the ground. Suraku watched as his sister turned around with a yell, partially landing on him with such impact that his orange jacket was completely shredded off along with the ends of his black t-shirt underneath.

Panting, Suraku slowly stood up. "So… you do have some fight in you."

Hibari cupped her hands to the side of her mouth, "NINTOOO!" as the rabbit reappeared on it's cloud, Hibari's face was serious and full of vigor. "Let's get ready for our Secret Ninja Art, Ninto."

"Oh no, you don't!" Suraku grabbed his skateboard, gritting his teeth. _Don't make me laugh, sister. I know a basic level Ninpo from an advanced one. _

"Ninto, VROOM!"

"Thunder CHAAAARGE!" Suraku and Hibari rushed headfirst towards each other. But as Suraku braced himself putting all the energy he had into his Second Ninja Art, the unexpected happened as Hibari and Ninto suddenly turned upward, dodging Suraku's Thunder Charge before making a quick turnaround to hit him from the side. By the time Suraku turned his head to follow Hibari, she was right in his face.

Skateboard and goggles went flying as Suraku was thrown onto the ground, golden sparks jolting off his body, preventing him from moving as Hibari jumped on him. "Come back, come back, come back! Come back, come back, come back, come back, come back!" with each tear-filled cry of desperation, she slapped a paralyzed, drooling Suraku across the face.

Suraku winced, his lips trying to open as he began to stutter. "N… N-n… NOOOOO!" In a desperate attempt, he headbutted Hibari off.

"Owiiee… That hurt! Bad little brother!" Hibari puffed her cheeks angrily.

"You started it, stupid head Hibari!" Suraku pouted, rubbing his head.

"Did not, Suraku otaku!"

"Did too, bunny brain!"

Hibari and Suraku screamed, both lunging for each other, their hands locking against one another as sparks of electricity flew off the two like an unstable power plant. Angry tears leaked from the electrified siblings' eyes, each glaring into the other's, not wanting to give in. Ninto covered his eyes at the blinding and wild sparks of cyan and gold that clashed together, creating a storm of conflicted and confused feelings that had built-up to the point of eruption.

Suraku and Hibari groaned and growled, each trying to push the other back, the ends of Suraku's shirt and pants beginning to rip, showing his smooth, skinny arms and legs, and developing torso. Slowly, Suraku began feeling himself being pushed back as his lungs pounded for air. _NO! My power! But why!? I can't possibly end here! _The voltage and physical force put out from Suraku slowly began to dwindle. His sister leaning into him as he held his ground.

An explosive electric blast blinded Suraku as an overcharge of sudden electricity sent him flying backwards ripping apart his baggy jeans into tattered shorts. All that remained of his t-shirt was a left sleeve that connected across the chest and down the right side of his midriff. Suraku struggled to his knees, only to fall back down on the ground.

As Hibari called out his name, Suraku slowly pushed himself onto one knee. "I… can't give up. I've… come too far… to quit now. I'll never go back, Hibari. I can't. I've nothing left in this world to go back to." Suraku got up, a desperate glare billowing from him. "I have to go down this path if I ever want to live it down. And I will keep fighting. Even after every bone in my body breaks!"

Hibari looked down, eyes sadly closed as Ninto then jumped up on her shoulders. "Suraku… I can't let you hurt our family. Even yourself. Secret Ninja Art: Butt Go Boom."

Suraku let out a 'huh' of disbelief when fear began to rise within him, as so did his sister begin rising larger and larger until she was almost 3 stories high. Suraku began screaming and running, staggering from the shaking ground of Hibari's now giant stomps. A short hop from her and Suraku saw the shadow of his sister's booty like an incoming asteroid. A scream followed as Suraku was squashed by the glutenous mounds of Hibari.

"What'd ya have to go and do that for!?" Suraku yelped, his little arms and head wiggling from underneath, Ninto, hopping down from Hibari's shoulder, chuckling. "What are you lookin' at, funny bunny?!"

A deep rumbling could be heard, Hibari's eyes growing wide. "Uh oh."

But as Ninto tilted his head in confusion, Suraku's angry, pupil-less eyes and sharp teeth grew as he said. "Don't you dare!"

"Ninto, get out of the way!" Hibari said, before a massive rumbling echoed through the entire kekkai, Hibari's flatulence creating an explosion from reacting with Ninto's cloud. The result ended with a vanishing Ninto, a deflating Hibari, and Suraku, who launched high into the air as his remaining shoes and clothes completely tore, leaving only him only in short boxers as he yelled out in anguish.

* * *

As Suraku hit the ground, Hibari slowly walked up to her brother. Trembling, he grabbed onto her foot, sobbing softly. Hibari sat down on her knees, her arms reaching around Suraku. Very weakly, he slowly tried to swat her away, bawling incoherently like a child. Hibari made out the words "I hate you" as a half-hearted fist slowly attempted to throw another punch.

Gently grabbing his fist, Hibari pulled Suraku into a hug, holding her against his chest the way she used to all that time ago when he'd console in her. Even as the kekkai dissipated, she held onto him long after his sobs and weak squirming had calmed down.  
After a while, Hibari looked down to see if he had passed out, "Suraku?" with no reply from her little brother, she felt his arms raise slowly and softly, hugging her back. "Surakuuu!" Hibari's eyes trembled in a pained and triumphant joy, hugging him back as he nestled his head against her stomach. As the water streamed from her own eyes, she ran her fingers through his hair with a smile on her face.

Her brother too weak to do anything but nudge, Hibari turned Suraku's head over on her lap, looking down into his face. "You're not worthless, Suraku. I never thought you were. And you've only gotten stronger and smarter. Everyone would be proud. Even your Gokudō friends. In fact, I bet they already are. You're a proper shinobi in my eyes."

Suraku then weakly began to lift one hand, "Hi… ba… ri… Sis… ter." Gently grabbing his hand she smiled.

"Don't worry, little brother. Big sister is here." Hibari then watched a short smile form on Suraku's lips. As he closed his eyes, passing out in the arms of his sister, she continued to snuggle him from behind in silence. For as right now, it was all that mattered to her.


	32. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 31

Chapter 31: A Shinobi has a Choice

The sound of blades piercing through flesh were all that could be heard as Asuka let out a startling gasp, her eyes widening. Turning around, a set of three long blades jutted out through Akashi's chest, before pulling out as his body fell limply to the ground.

"Homura?!" Asuka's voice heightened, seeing the blades attached to her old friend and rival.

"Jeez, that was close. I didn't think we'd run into you here, Asuka. Least not at the same time." Homura then sheathed her blades as she began to walk by. "Lucky we did too, otherwise some punk might of taken you out before I do and that would make me very upset."

Asuka looked back at the corpse of the Gokudō shinobi. "You… didn't have to kill him."

"Oh, so you wanted him to kill you?" Asuka began to stutter in objection, but Homura continued. "You can't fool me. I saw what was about to happen."

Asuka lowered her head, "Th-thank you, Homura. But… you still didn't have to kill him."

Asuka then halted with a start as Homura suddenly turned around with a stern gaze. "Look, I don't enjoy unnecessary killing either. But you forget who we are. We're shinobi; and we have a choice to make. To kill or be killed. One day that kindness is gonna betray you and I won't be there to help you!" Homura's words cut deep into places Asuka didn't know she had. "You're too soft, Asuka. Now are you coming or not?"

Asuka was left in silence as Homura began walking away. Still shaking from the whole ordeal, she looked down and then back to the dead shinobi, her mind wandering for a bit before walking after Homura.

* * *

On their guard, the two walked quietly through the Gokudō building until Homura broke the silence. "I guess you guys are here to rescue Ikaruga, huh?"

Asuka gave a confirming nod. "How'd you know?"

"I wouldn't have the time to tell you the half of it. So much has happened since that last battle together that I don't know where to begin. There were rusty spheres, giant robots, assassins, our cave was literally ruined-…"

"Wait. Hold up!" Asuka pushed her fingers against her temples as if trying to squint her mind to process. "Spheres and giant robots? Are… you okay, Homura?"

"Believe me, I wish I was going crazy, but it's true. I'd explain it all if we had-…" Homura stopped and turned her gaze down the hall as too did Asuka. Sensing the danger, the two shinobi leapt to the side before an array of bullets shot from down the hall.

Asuka quickly retaliated by sending a small stun bomb towards the Gokudo grunts that had showed up. "Homura! Fusion Ninja Art!"

Homura nodded, both girls slashing and dashing in their Flying Wild Dance technique, severely injuring the grunts, who dropped to the ground. Asuka went around quickly disarming and briefly interrogating the ones that were still conscious, lightly treating their wounds as she spoke softly to the terrified boys, some of whom were younger than she.

"Asuka, you're not gonna get answers out of them like that. And it'll take too long. Watch me." Homura then turned to one of the injured boys, sticking her blades to his neck. "Alright, buddy! Tell us where Ikaruga is and maybe I won't turn you into minced meat!"

The boy whimpered, tears squeezing from his eyes as his breath heightened. "I-uh, I… U-u-upper level, 4th floor? I don't know, they never tell us!"

"Homura, stop!" Asuka lightly pushed Homura's blades aside with her own, opening the boy's button shirt and ripping off a small piece of her own to dab the light gash across his chest. "You'll be alright. Now could you tell us again where Ikaruga is?"

The boy stuttered, trembling in both pain and fear, Homura growing annoyed. "Speak up."

"It's… in the upper level. Two, three floors above us? I… I don't know much more than that, I swear!"

"Sssshhhh. We're not going to kill you. Rest up here." Asuka then got up, readying to move on.

"What was that? He gave the same answer he gave me, only mine got us an answer faster, Asuka. Your method wasted time." Homura scoffed, following her.

"Well your method may not have be the most accurate either. People say things when they're terrified that may not always be true! Besides, treating the enemy can create seeds of change."

"Except that most people are too stubborn and set in their ways to change anything! At least my method produced results, yours just gave them a mind boner!"

"Your impatience scares them half to death into half-true answers!"

"His answer was the same as the one he gave you!"

"Only because you scared him first!"

"You don't know that!" Homura and Asuka exchanged heated glares before backing down. Homura sighed, "Fighting each other won't solve anything. I just… wish you weren't such a softie. It's gonna get you killed one day and I don't wanna see that, Asuka."

"I understand, Homura. But bloodshed is not always the answer. A foe shown kindness can change their beliefs. Would you still disagree even though you stand beside me today cause I refused to kill you?" Asuka watched Homura look down with a grunt.

"That was… some enemies will not see the light as I did. And some… might even fool you into thinking they're sincere… only to backstab you later." Homura's tone dropped at her last words.

"True. But you are just as capable of fooling yourself." Asuka replied, placing a hand on Homura's shoulder.

"Fooling myself." Homura mumbled, seemingly lost in her thoughts. "Oh yeah! Asuka. You don't happen to know a red-haired shinobi with a grey uniform?"

Asuka shook her head, "Mm, mm. Grey uniform, you say. A Gessen student perhaps?"

"Nah, the outfit was too exposed for a Gessen student. But are you sure you don't know? She somehow used both Hikage and your ninja arts against me. I felt like I knew her, but I had never seen her in my life."

"My ninja art?! I mean, I learned it from grandpa down the line, so he may have taught others to use it, but I don't know any redheads. Unless I count Homura in hothead mode." Asuka grinned.

"H-hothead?! It's called Crimson!" Homura pouted through cartoonish, pupil-less eyes. Asuka began to laugh when they sensed someone approaching.

* * *

A lightly tanned boy in white and blue baseball attire walked into the large, open lobby room they had entered. Dark orange strands of hair hung over his steely, purple-eyed gaze as he approached.

"In the name of Gokudō Boys Academy; lay down your arms or we will be forced to annihilate you." But no sooner had the boy said his words, did Homura explode into laughter.

"Uuuhh. Homura?" Asuka raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"I can't help it Asuka. I mean, at first they're all consistent! Like the suits and ties and all gangsta-like with their knives and guns, but we struck a home base so hard they think it's an actual game! That outfit!" Homura gripped her stomach, doubling over, much to the boy's annoyance.

"Homura. Be careful, I sense strength from this one." Asuka frowned, sweatdropping.

"S-stop it! This is my shinobi attire! I am one of the elites I'll have you know!" the boy growled.

Homura flexed her voice, "Gokudō Academy up for bat. Oh, what's this? They're taking the walk! I guess Hideki Matsui doesn't wanna risk a strike out after those crushing, girly pitches by Crimson and Hanzooo! EEP!" With an echoing crack, a blue energy baseball flew just above Homura's rack, jiggling them as it passed.

"Enough of this! Your invasion stops here!" an energy flared off of the boy, who gripped a thick, wooden baseball bat.

"We're not invading. We just want our friend back! Wait a second-…" Asuka stopped, squinting her eyes. "Baseball boy?"

"What is it?" the boy stopped, then turned to Homura. "Wait, you. What did you call her?" Homura spoke Asuka's name, to which the boy turned back to her. "Asuka… you're… that girl."

"Saizo… Suki… Suzuki?" Asuka continued looking towards him with a tilted head.

"So, it is you. I never expected to meet you again. Least not like this. So… a full time Shinobi. Is that why you never showed up to my game?" Suzuki stated with a straight face.

"Well, you've certainly come a long way from the kid who just awkwardly confesses feelings to the first girl he sees." Asuka watched as Suzuki grunted at the comment, his eyes straying from hers.

"Ooooh. Asuka's got a boyfriend~." Homura giggled, giving Asuka a light punch to the arm.

"Homura! He's not-…" Asuka gave Homura a flustered glare.

"Hehehe. I'm messing with ya, girl." Homura put an arm around her and then turned to Suzuki. "Sorry pal, but no dates tonight. Asuka's already taken. Wait! Th-that came out wrong!"

"I-I'm not taken by anyone! What the hell, Homura?" Asuka frustratedly blushed as Homura let go of her.

"Neither of you are going anywhere. You waste your time on such a crusade. For your friend may no longer be here." Suzuki stated.

"What do you mean? Where are you taking her?!" Asuka focused her gaze on Suzuki.

"She is being transported to a safer place where our client's business can go uninterrupted. Probably as we speak."

As soon as Suzuki spoke the words, Homura rushed forward, dodging a swing of Suzuki's bat and tripping him. "Sorry, but we don't have time to mess with you! Let's go Asuka!"

Asuka hopped over Suzuki, proceeding to go after Homura when Suzuki quickly regained composure. "Oh no you don't!" conjuring a ghostly blue baseball, he sent it flying at Homura with the crack of his bat.

"Homura!" Asuka called out, quickly swinging her sword upward and slicing the projectile, diminishing it before it could reach its target. But no sooner had Asuka deflected the energy ball when Suzuki rushed forward, his bat meeting her blades, forcing her into a lock. Asuka shouted to her friend, "Go, Homura! I'll take care of this here!"

"But… I can't leave you!"

"I'll be fine! You have to find Ikaruga, please GO!" Asuka shouted, prompting Homura to nod and go on. Asuka turned her attention back to Suzuki with slight hesitation in her eyes. Using her foot, she forced Suzuki back and away, attempting to follow up with a leaping chop.

Suzuki dodged, performing an athletic, backwards flip before landing. Standing up, he took a battle stance. "I would have preferred to fight your friend instead of you, Asuka. But I'm afraid the past does not change the present. I am Suzuki! Help the weak and fight the strong!"

Asuka waited patiently, watching intently as Suzuki summoned three more ghostly blue baseballs, striking them one after another. Asuka felt the first baseball graze her hair as she performed a ducking roll. Metal gonged and wood shattered as Suzuki's baseballs ricocheted wildly off everything in the room. She crawled across the room, hoping to find safety underneath a nearby table, wood battering her face as a ricocheting baseball smashed off of it.

Suddenly, Suzuki's bat came down beside her. Just missing, she grabbed his bat, trying to disarm him, but the boy was stronger than she expected. "I thought you were just an athlete! What happened to you?!"

"Looks can be deceiving, can't they?" with a grunt, Asuka's grip was thrown off by Suzuki, the boy regaining control of his weapon. "Especially when they don't show the full picture!" Suzuki rushed at Asuka, who found herself parrying her blades against his bat. "But I'm sure you know all about that, don't you, Asuka?"

As Asuka would take a low strike at his leg, Suzuki would lift it in an attempt to kick her, to which she would respond by leaning to the side and then arching herself backwards as his bat swung in a horizontal arc just missing her. In terms of speed, the two were like partners in a dance of lethality until Asuka shoved Suzuki back. "It's our roles as shinobi. Shouldn't you know, Baseball Boy?"

Suzuki slid back, catching himself on his feet. "If that's all it took to be a shinobi, I would be a Kagura by now." Asuka pulled a short-fused bomb out of her pocket. Knowing Suzuki could probably bat it away, she instead rolled it like a bowling ball after lighting it, but it didn't stop him from using his bat as a gold club, causing the bomb to explode in the middle of them. Throwing her back, the explosion tore the ends of her outfit, revealing a small part of her midriff.

Asuka regained composure, sneaking through the smoke, hands shaking with sweat against her wakizashi. An intense game of mental gymnastics began as Asuka both tried to detect Suzuki's presence while also masking her own, realizing that he could very well be doing the same. Each careful step, her heart was on alert and her body ready to react at a moment's notice. The slightest pressure of unease seeped through the smoke, Asuka raised both wakizashi in a striking manner only to meet the hardened wood of Suzuki bat.

Asuka found her eyes like her weapons, locked with Suzuki's and staring into his deep, purple-blue pupils which brought forth a strange, buzzing conflict in her chest to which she could not comprehend. As though searching for an escape, her eyes had wandered down to see the Gokudō diamond formed by the dragon and koi fish on his front pocket. "Not bad for a baseball boy. How long have you been a shinobi?"

Asuka tried to disarm him once again, this time by twisting his bat around enough to force him to loosen his grip by whatever means. Suzuki however, twisted around, using his body to lift Asuka up on his back and flip her over. Asuka landed on her feet, twisting out of Suzuki's grasp, almost losing her swords in the process. Suzuki looked up, "Not long after you disappeared actually. I was 'just an athlete' for a time. But my friend offered me a way out!"

"A way out? From what?" Asuka kept her guard up but was still intrigued.

"From the hell that was my life. But now I can do this, all thanks to the Gokudō Boys Academy! Secret Ninja Art!" Asuka watched as a blue glow engulfed Suzuki's bat and hands. Within seconds the bat began hovering away from his hands. "Batterang SLUGGER!"

Asuka ducked as Suzuki's bat came spinning rapidly at her, but quickly jumped back when the bat came around. Attempting to block it, the bat knocked a sword out of her hand, forcing her to throw a nearby end table at it. While the spinning bat chased Asuka around the room, out of her eye's corner she saw Suzuki's glowing hands making all kinds of puppet-like motions. _That's it! _Asuka ran around more, regaining her other blade while dodging Suzuki's bat. Quickly focusing her attention on Suzuki, himself, she rushed at him with her own ninja art, Dual Slash.

Suzuki quickly recalled his bat, enough to block the brunt of the attack, but Asuka's strike was not completely deflected, sending him flying back into a round, steel support column. Slightly cut, Suzuki's shirt nearly tore completely off, revealing his tanned build, more toned than Asuka last remembered. Along with the majority of his pant waist and his left arm sleeve, only a small portion of his right shoulder was still clothed.

Asuka ran up, catching a crumpling Suzuki in her arms. Suddenly her arms squeezed as Suzuki's hands gripped her hard. "I won't… fall here! I've come too far to fail!"

"You're hurt, don't try and fight it!" Asuka tried to assert herself, but Suzuki's grip was strong despite the bleeding gash on his side.

"No!" Suzuki cried out, flipping Asuka over and under him. Asuka struggled to move, her arms locked with Suzuki. Despite his bleeding side, the fiery determination in his eyes reminded her of herself.

"Stop it! You'll bleed to death!" Asuka shouted.

"NO! I have to see her again! I won't go back to them!" Suzuki yelled. Asuka managed to flip them both on their side, as she could feel Suzuki's grip slowly starting to weaken.

"Who do you need to see?!"

Suzuki flipped them over once more, before pushing the two of them up into a sitting position. "My sister!" As Suzuki pushed her back, Asuka watched more blood seeping out his sides. She shouted in objection as Suzuki slowly leaned into her, but gradually Asuka pushed back, struggling less and less. "Not that you'd know what it's like… to be separated from your family at eight years of age. Only to… be adopted by nasty, alcoholic relatives. Therefore, I cannot quit here, Asuka… I… I have to… see her."

By now, Asuka felt Suzuki's grasp on her arms weakening to that of a sick child as his head dropped and his breath was heavy. "So, you'd rather die here fighting me and ensure you never see her again?" tears of exhaustion leaked from Suzuki's eyes, his mouth only uttering indiscernible sounds. "I'm not going to kill you, Suzuki. How do you think your sister would feel if she saw her brother acting this stubborn? We may be shinobi, but we all have a choice to make."

Suzuki's hands dropped from Asuka's arms and to his sides, where he looked down at his blood covered right hand. Obviously dizzy, Suzuki uttered one final word that Asuka could hear before he fell to the floor and passed out. "Yoza-… kura…"


	33. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Trust is a Two-Way Street

Financier rushed into the room where Mina was with several other Basilicom staff. "Everyone! Histoire has an important announcement she needs us to attend to! Nepgear has returned!"

Financier led the way into a meeting room with a long table. At the end of the room hanging off the wall sat a large screen where Histoire and Nepgear could be seen. At this, the others began to quietly clamor amongst themselves, with Mina's eyes widening in surprise as she walked forward. "Nepgear! You're alive! Tell us what happened."

"Nepgear, will you be okay or should I tell them?" Histoire asked, placing a concerned hand on a quivering Nepgear's shoulder.

"I-… I'll be fine, Histoire. I… I knew I would have to do this eventually." Nepgear gulped before walking forward, Mina making out more screens in the background with the Lastation and Leanbox crew. "We… ended up trapped in this horrid, hellscape dimension. We found crystals… that we could use to make a portal. But we were under constant attack by hideous monsters. One by one… they all… started to fall. First Tekken… then 5pb… and Blanc… and… Neptu-…" Nepgear began to sob, the others all remaining in silence as Histoire rubbed her back gently.

Nepgear gulped, drying her eyes. "It turned out… the more crystals we collected, the stronger our portal to get everyone home would be. But the more we collected, the more it attracted the monsters. But we didn't realize it until we had finally gotten enough. That's when they descended upon us! Vert told me… that I at least have to survive. To tell everyone… what happened." Silence overfell the room as Nepgear hugged Histoire against her shoulder.

* * *

After a period of shock and mourning, Nepgear gave a speech to the people of Planeptune. "…And so, it is with a heavy heart that I shall take my place as Planeptune's CPU, ruling in my sister's stead. Long live Gamindustri."

Afterwards, she would perform her duties as usual. Going about the day and playing the part that was bestowed upon her. But by the time night came, Nepgear returned to her quarters, removing her D-pad hairclip, and letting her bangs drop over her eyes as she placed it into a drawer beside a heart-shaped, red and yellow hairclip. The only thing that followed was a silent giggle.

* * *

No matter how much she tried, Renka's mind wouldn't quit wandering back to the talk she had had with Linda the previous night. Confused between the lines of pity and anger, Renka continued to rack her brain for possible answers as to why. The tranquil sound of midnight cicadas was shattered as Kafuru's voice emerged from the doorway, shaking Renka from her trance. "Just forget about them, Renka."

Sitting up from the bed in her torch spotted pajamas, Renka rubbed her head. "You should be in bed, sister Kafuru."

"After that's all happened to you and Hanabi, someone has to make sure the place is safe. I don't care if you're older, you're not stopping me from keeping watch tonight." Kafuru folded her arms, staring straight at her sister.

"You always did have dad's stubbornness." Renka gave a slight smile. "Least that's what mom always used to say."

"Sis… do you think… we'll be able to go back one day?" Kafuru asked.

"I'm sure we will. Once we have enough Yoma Soul Essence to bring Kagura back for the better, then without a doubt. Hopefully, we'll be forgiven."

"Or hopefully old Kaori will bite the dust before we come back."

"Kafuru! She is still the elder of the Goshin!" Renka gave Kafuru a stern glare.

"She's not our elder anymore! She banished us! Besides, it's not fair that she tried to single you out! We should have all taken the curse Hanabi so stupidly took instead!" Kafuru snapped back.

"No, Kafuru. I am the eldest sister and I should have taken responsibility. I wish I'd been the explosive one instead of Hanabi." Renka sadly looked towards the next bed over, where Hanabi slept with a band around her head. "She used to be so bright. Full of wacky yet innovative ideas. Now people just think she's a dummy without ever truly knowing the real Hanabi."

"She still has ideas. Though they pale in comparison to her earlier aspirations, for sure." Kafuru commented before turning to Renka. "It's not fair, Renka. Why'd I have to get off scot-free when you and Hanabi suffer most from what happen all those years ago?!"

"We've been over this, Kafuru. Ya know what I'm gonna say." Renka stuck her arms on her hips.

"How can I be thankful about not taking your burdens when you and Hanabi suffer from it time and time again while I suffer nothing? What kind of sister am I if I don't share the load both in good and bad?" Kafuru looked sadly towards Renka.

"One who will be better and stronger than us one day." Renka's words boiled frustration into Kafuru, who thrust her leg down into a stomp before storming out.

A peeved sigh left Kafuru's mouth as she stopped in the living room, her eyes wandering down to the tatami flooring like falling leaves. As Kafuru stood still, the sudden creek of the floorboard alerted her attention to where the noise had come from. But she took no more than two steps when suddenly thick strings gagged her from behind and a dark figure grabbed her.

Kafuru struggled against the binds of her attacker when she noticed the end of the string was that of a yo-yo. Two more figures walked into the room and from the moonlight, Kafuru could barely make out the shapes of the girls from two days earlier. "Sorry, but we don't have time to be fighting you." One said, before the bonk of the other's hammer was the last thing Kafuru saw before blacking out.

* * *

Sensing something was off, Renka got up and out of bed. Reaching for her drumsticks, she held her side, with her other arm stiffening up painfully. "Damn injuries." Renka growled, trying to shrug it off as she headed for the doorway with only one drumstick in hand. Suddenly from around the corner, a familiar set of claws suddenly met her drumstick, as Renka noticed the short, brunette haired girl from before. "You, again!"

Renka sparred briefly with the girl, but her injuries cut her engagement short as Iffy elbowed her in the stomach, pinning her down and disarming her. "Renka? What's all the noise?" Hanabi yawned.

Renka cried out to her sister when suddenly Red leapt through the door, tackling Hanabi to the ground and smacking her in the face with her kendama. "Ooowww, not again!" Hanabi whined.

Renka called out to Hanabi once more, trying to get up when she found IF's claws at her neck. "Don't move. I'd rather not kill you." Iffy replied to Renka.

"They're not here!" came the bellowing voice of Blanc, as she walked in the room, pointing her hammer at Hanabi. "Alright, where are you hiding them!?"

"Y-you?! Hiding who?" Hanabi looked confused.

"The old man, the thug wifey, and the icky mouse of course. Who else do you think?" Red chimed in, still pinning Hanabi down.

"What have you done to Kafuru!?" Renka shouted.

"She's fine. She's just down for a little nap is all." Blanc said in a soft tone before walking over and grabbing Renka by the collar of her PJs, revealing an angry red eye. "Now ANSWER! WHERE ARE THEY!?"

A moment of silence followed, Renka looking away from Blanc before uttering the word 'gone'. "Ahaha! What'd we try to tell ya?! You're a bunch of bad, bad dummies!" Red declared, poking Hanabi in the nose with her last few words.

"OKAY, YOU WERE RIGHT!" Renka shouted before letting out a defeated sigh, which got the Hyperdimension girls' attention. "And we were wrong. So, if you aren't going to kill us, then please let us explain."

* * *

Blanc, IF, and Red sat across the chabudai from the Mikagura sisters as Renka finished telling them their story. A silent tenseness filled the living room, the two parties still exchanging wary-eyed stares. Finally, Blanc sat up straight, closing her eyes. "Hate to say, but I told ya so."

"Uh huh! We tried to warn you, but you all were like, 'Wiyah! Back, you savages!'" Red made exaggerated hand motions to mimic martial arts.

"And by warning, you mean stomping up to our home and shrine, threatening us, and disrespecting sacred ground?" Renka folded her arms.

"Yeah, not to mention being a bunch of perverts. Don't try to act all innocent when you struck first. Honestly, the nerve of people." Kafuru's sassy tone made a vein pop on Blanc's head.

"Funny how such a little shrimp has such a big mouth on her." Blanc retorted.

"Look who's talking. Seems you're both littler and bigger in more ways than one." Kafuru jabbed back.

"You wanna run that one by me again and start this conflict all over, shrimp!?" Blanc's face scrunched up through gritted teeth.

"Did you ever end it when you decided to break into our house a second time and knock me out?!" Kafuru growled.

Blanc immediately stood up, causing Renka to do the same. "Whoa there!" Iffy interjected, standing up and gently guiding Blanc to sit back down, Renka soon following.

IF began pacing back and forth as the end of the table. "Now ladies, I'd rather not go at it again. Clearly, we've just gotten off on the wrong foot with a huge misunderstanding." Iffy turned back to Blanc. "Lady Blanc, I know it was rude of them to insult your stature. I get that feeling all the time. But we kinda did just barge up here, so how would we expect them to react?"

"My sisters are missing! All of our friends are missing and these three let our only lead escape!" Blanc yelled. Renka's eyes drifted to the ground briefly, thinking of her own sisters beside her.

"I know. I want to get them back too. These are very stressful and confusing times for all of us. But these girls are strong, so it might be better to look for allies than enemies." Iffy placed a hand on Blanc's shoulder before turning towards the Mikaguras. "Miss Renka, is it? You seem like a reasonable girl. If we're going to work together, we should probably try NOT to piss each other off."

"Nobody likes bein' pissed off. And I agree that we got off on the wrong foot, miss I… F?" After Iffy gave her a confirmation, Renka continued. "But who said anything 'bout workin' together?"

"You housed criminals of Gamindustri and let them get away. In my eyes, this mess is just as much your responsibility as ours." Blanc stated, Red nodding her head in agreement.

"Besides, didn't they steal from you and lock your sister in the closet?" Red pointed to Hanabi. "That's reason enough to go after them!"

"If they show their faces here again, they're gonna get a face-full for what they did to Hanabi. But all they stole from us was a bunch of food and cups and bowls and some other things. Stuff that can easily be replaced." Kafuru replied.

Hanabi followed up with a nod, "And besides, by the time Renka and Kafuru found me, they'd been gone for hours. We had no clue where to begin."

"So, is that a 'no'? You're not going to help us after the trouble you've caused us?" Blanc stayed calm, but her shaking tone was irked.

"It does upset me that she deceived me. She didn't seem like she was lying at the time!" Renka slammed her fist on the table but proceeded to slowly inhale and exhale. "But I'm afraid this isn't our fight. On behalf of my sisters, I do wish to apologize for the misunderstanding and the trouble we've caused you." Renka stood up, taking a bow. "We will allow you to stay here for the night and feed you with what we have left."

Blanc's clenched fist shook, but she said nothing. But IF picked up the conversation, "I understand, miss Renka. We appreciate the hospitality and please forgive our own end of things."

"Sis, you can't be serious!" Kafuru objected. "They ambushed us once, you know they can ambush us again! How do you know they won't kill us in our sleep!?"

"Kafuru. These girls aren't our enemy. It's the least we can do for them after such a misunderstanding." Renka replied.

"But… I think Kafuru's right. They could attack us again. But then again… why would they? We both understand one another now, right?" Hanabi scratched her chin, conflicted.

Renka placed tender hands on her sisters' shoulders. "I understand your skepticism, sisters. Believe me, if they try, we'll be ready. But they're in a similar position. What better way to show we're not the enemy than to offer our hospitality?"

"The feeling's mutual." Iffy chimed in before taking her claws and placing them on the table in front of them. "Remove your weapons, girls."

"WHAT!? You've gotta be kidding, IF!" Blanc exclaimed, turning towards IF quickly.

"It's like Renka said. They're in a similar position to us. What better way to show them we mean no harm than to trust them?" Iffy gave Renka a smile and a brief wink.

"You have a point. Now that we understand each other, I will not threaten potential wifeys!" Red declared, placing her weapon toys on the table. Kafuru sweatdropped, Red's word choice bothering her. _'Wifeys'? Was this meathead born on 4chan?_

"Iffy, no! I can't allow you to disarm us completely defenseless! What if we get attacked?! Maybe not by them but what if someone else comes!?" Blanc's frantic tone soon trailed off into stuttering.

"It's a two-way street, Milady. Please try to understand." Iffy said, then getting into a back and forth with Blanc until Renka said that they would return their weapons in the morning, eventually convincing Blanc to relinquish her hammer.

"Don't worry, miss Blanc. I won't let anyone else touch your hammer." Renka said, then turning to Iffy, telling them where they could sleep. "We appreciate your cooperation, IF. Again, I'm sorry we can't do more. But this just isn't our fight." The Mikaguras turned to go back to bed when Red's voice halted them.

"Hold it! How do you know they didn't steal anything of value!?"

"Red, that's enough." Iffy's words left through a hushed tone and gritted teeth.

"We already told you, all they stole from us was stuff in the kitchen. Nothing of real value was taken. Please understand that we'll do what we can for you, but we can't just up and pursue them." Renka stated plainly.

Red shook her head. "Don't underestimate Warechu and Underling. Did you actually see them flee? For all you know, they might have taken something small that was just outside the kitchen!"

"Red, please. They already said it's not their fight. We can't force people to help us if they don't want to." Iffy said.

But the Mikagura sisters went silent for a moment until Hanabi broke the silence, "Hmmm. Now that I think about it. They did take the evergreen incense just outside the living room entrance. Not sure why. Oooh, what else could they have taken?" Hanabi began groaning, holding her head when Renka and Kafuru quickly made her sit down again.

"Relax that noggin o' yours, Hanabi. We don't need a kaboom here." Renka said.

"But I wanna help." Hanabi frowned, Kafuru patting her on the head.

"Just leave it to us, sis." Kafuru said, before turning back to the others. "Anyway, we don't keep anything of value around the kitchen. Least not stuff we can replace. Though they did take our sacred Shinto ritual bowl."

"Renka's red coral necklace?" Hanabi asked.

"I stuck that in my room last week, Hanabi. I know they didn't go in our rooms." Renka replied. "Hmm. Mom and dad's weapons, our Goshin pillows, the Shinto mahogany chest. Most of the real valuable stuff is either in our rooms or just too inconvenient for a bunch of thieves to dash out without us noticing."

"Come to think of it, why would we keep anything of high value in the kitchen?" Kafuru scratched her chin. "Only thing I can think of was Hanabi's gold spatula, which really isn't gold, which they took."

"I'm still mad about that!" Hanabi steamed through puffed cheeks.

"… And Kagura's ribbon, which is hanging on the top banner on the inside." Kafuru finished. But just then, Renka's eyes began to widen and her mouth began to drop. "What is it, sis?"

"Ya know, ya keep that thing open and eventually a fly's gonna drop in for a visit." Iffy lightly joked, but then Renka bolted into the kitchen.

"Good job, Iffy. You scared her off." Blanc said.

"Yeah, Iffy! Don't scare the sexy wifey away." Red puffed her lips at a stuttering IF.

"I-I-I was just!" Iffy could barely make out words.

"Relax, Iffy. I was only kidding." Blanc replied.

"Oh, you were, Lady Blanc? Well uh…" Red sweatdropped before smiling and pointing a finger up. "In that case I was also kidding!"

"Like hell you were, Red!" Iffy's head grew to a ridiculous size, showing angry sharp teeth and white, pupil-less eyes.

Blanc laughed lightly, "I guess Vert was right about one thing. You are cute to mess with."

Iffy nearly blushed in frustration when they heard Renka scream. Rushing into the entryway of the Mikaguras' kitchen, they found Kafuru and Hanabi just as equally confused. "Renka. Take deep breaths. Tell us what they stole." Hanabi placed both hands on Renka's shoulders.

"The Yoma Soul Essence! The red orbs! They're gone!" Renka said frantically.

"THAT'S WHERE YOU HID THEM!? I almost used those to flavor my curry rice one day! Luckily, I didn't since I thought they were marbles" Kafuru added.

"They were easier to keep track of after a hard day o' yoma hunting!" Renka yelled.

"So… something of value was stolen after all?" But no sooner had the words left Blanc's mouth when the Mikagura's rushed up to them, saying 'We're in!' in perfect unison. "Well that was easy. Good thinking, Red." Blanc said, to which Red smiled and nodded in return.

"So, what do you say, miss Renka?" Iffy held out her hand towards the Mikagura. "Let's try not to piss each other off?"

"Yeah, let's try not to piss each other off, okay?" Renka said before both her and Iffy turned to Kafuru.

"H-hey! What are ya lookin' at me for!?" Kafuru stuttered.

"You are kind of a little instigator, Kafuru." Hanabi replied.

"W-w-well… i-in that case, you should keep the pervy red weirdo under control too!" Kafuru pointed at Red.

"I am not pervy! I just like to have fun! You're the one who mocked our Blanc for her washboardiness!" Red retorted.

"ReeeEEDDD!" Blanc's angry eye flared up as she gritted her teeth.

"Why so angry when it's true?" Kafuru asked.

"Kafuru! Quit it!" Hanabi tried to protest.

"How about I come over there and I'll squash those air-tight sacks into pancakes! Then you BOTH join me and Iffy in the flat club!" Blanc growled. Iffy was left in shock, unsure of whether to be offended or complimented.

"Yipes! I'll save you, gripey wifey!" Red put an arm around Kafuru. "Though uh… Lady Blanc is really scary so just in case, I'll say 'ladies first' and put you in front!"

"There are so many things wrong with what you just said that I can't even know where to begin! And get off me!" Kafuru yelped.

A sigh left Renka's mouth as she facepalmed. "Here we go again."


	34. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Sprouts for your Turtle

**Earlier**

Despite the crashing sounds of battle echoing outside the room that held her, Ikaruga did not react. Like a battlefield after the conflict, she sat still and silent. Her eyes stained red, evidence of angry and confused wailing. But her thoughts remained at war over a conflict she waged on both sides. Whether she was worthy as a leader or not, whether she cared if her friends came for her or if they failed, whether the sword known as Hien rightfully belonged to her or not, whether all the hatred from people she did nothing to was justified or they should all burn in hell, whether or not the young 13-year old Ikaruga who just wanted a loving family deserved even that. And whether or not she should stay the path bestowed upon her or toss it aside like used wastepaper.

Her hands remained folded, staring blankly into nothing even as the door to her room opened. "Miss Ikaruga. We need to leave, now!" Ikaruga slowly turned her head to see Komichi in the doorway before slowly turning her head back, letting indifference shroud her mind with the fog of lost thoughts. "Miss Ikaruga, please! I don't want to get rough with you."

"Oh, just grab her and go, Komichi. We don't have time for politeness when we're under attack." Murasame walked into the room, getting Ikaruga's attention, her eyes deadening with sadness. "Now come on, sister."

Murasame began to grab her arm, pulling her up but Ikaruga pulled away hard. "Hey! Don't make us rope you!" Murasame said.

"Do it! I'd rather walk bound than have you touching someone whom you never considered a sibling to begin with. Wouldn't you agree?" Ikaruga shot Murasame a slight glare. Murasame said nothing, a dumbfounded look coming over his face. "Whatever! I'd rather you not touch me either. Just bind me and get it over with." She said, taking a few steps closer to Komichi, holding her hands out.

"Have it your way then, miss Ikaruga. We're running short on time." Komichi said, proceeding to bind her.

"Where are we taking her anyways? Shouldn't we be defending Gokudō with the rest of our boys?" Murasame asked.

"New orders of the Oyabun. Kenshi says she's to be moved to a safe location where we can still see through to our client. We'll rejoin the fight after she's in the car, but right now we must not let the intruders get to her." Kenshi finished binding her wrists together, Ikaruga following along in silence.

* * *

The hallway path branched into an intersection. Yomi looked beside her friends Hikage and Homura, the latter of whom said, "You girls thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Split up, I assume?" Yomi replied.

"I know you guys too well." Hikage said with the slightest smile.

As Homura gave a thumbs up, Yomi giggled, "It's cause we're all so close, Hikage. But let us move quickly! Who knows what they've done to Ikaruga by now!"

"Just stay on your guard, girls! No telling what lies in wait." Homura declared before the three split up. Yomi made her way through with little resistance, taking out a few grunts and sentry guns along the way. Kicking the door open to a large open dining hall, she found several Gokudō shinobi who were prepared in a battle stance when they stopped, making confused looks, to which Yomi could overhear comments on her appearance.

A passive-aggressive smile formed on Yomi's mouth "Oh, I'm sorry, I simply MUST be in the wrong place. With all your fancy suit and ties, I must look ill-suited for your little party. Which is why I'm here to crash it!" Readying bombs under her dress and loading her wrist cannon and wrist crossbow, Yomi yelled the word 'Niflheim' before lighting up the entire dining room.

**Present**

Noticing they had stopped, Ikaruga looked back, as a Gokudo grunt spoke frantically to Komichi and Murasame. "What?! You're sure!? Dammit! I'll be right over." Komichi grunted.

"What about guarding the prisoner for our client?!" Murasame yelled.

"You go, Murasame! Our boys are under heavy attack and need help!" Komichi said.

"No, I'll go help the others and you take her to the dock! I'm just as capable as you!" Murasame protested.

"We don't have time for immaturity when we're under attack!" Komichi's tone turned sterner. "I am going because my fighting style is more suited for close quarters!"

"Is that all? Or do you think you're gonna make me think twice about moving on and giving back Hien to little sister by leaving me alone with HER?!" Murasame remarked, annoyed.

"LET GO OF THE PAST ALREADY AND FOCUS ON THE PRESENT, MURASAME! Your here and now is what matters!" a grit-toothed grimace flared from Komichi, making Murasame take a step back.

"You're right. Forgive me, brother." Murasame let out a sigh. "But you know how pain is."

Komichi placed a hand on Murasame's shoulder. "Like a bad allergy. We do what we can to quell it, as best we can. Now, I must go! Remember. Help the weak and fight the strong."

Ikaruga refused to look at her brother, but was curious, "What's going on?"

"It would seem that some intruders other than your Hanzo friends are coming for you. I must say, sister. Either you've friends in high places or you've a lot of enemies." Murasame remarked.

"None of that matters now." Ikaruga stated plainly.

Murasame raised a confused eyebrow, trying to look at Ikaruga. "None of it?"

"Why yes. Why bother? After all, it's not like I've tried hard throughout life only to get targeted for things I didn't do, whereas you couldn't bear to take responsibility for anything!" Ikaruga turned her head away from Murasame, closing her eyes.

A moment of silence followed, before Murasame spoke words that cause Ikaruga to look at him with a start. "Maybe you're right… But now I have a responsibility. Let's go." Ikaruga stopped, her eyes blinking rapidly at Murasame as if he were an illusion. Upon giving her a light shove, Murasame made Ikaruga continue walking.

Leading her down into a parking dock, Murasame met with two other Gokudō grunts by a black, Class S Mercedes Benz. As Murasame opened the back door, he wanted to say something to his adoptive sister. Whether for all those years of potentially misplaced hatred or simply the fact that she was once like family, he did not know, as awkward uncertainty settled in, stifling him.

* * *

Suddenly a shot penetrated the hood of the car, creating a small explosion, knocking down one of the grunts from the blast wind. A bleach-blonde haired girl with a giant broadsword jumped from the side of the building fire escape, sending a crossbow bolt into the neck of the other grunt who tried to attack her. Murasame let out a surprised 'what?', having little time to react as the girl quickly pushed the body aside and shoulder rammed him into a couple of empty oil drums. "Yomi?" Ikaruga looked over slowly.

"Ikaruga! Are you unharmed!?" Yomi pulled Ikaruga out of the car, dusting off her outfit and feeling for any injuries.

Ikaruga remained silent, her eyes drooping sadly. "Why bother coming at all?" Yomi's eyes widened at Ikaruga's words, "After all, you've more important matters to attend to… Miss rich princess has it all. You don't need to look out for her." Ikaruga sounded ready to cry.

"Oh no no no no! That's not the Ikaruga I know! What have they done to you!?" Yomi placed a hand over her mouth.

"It's not them. It's me. Wielder of Hien, birthright thief, class rep, a rich princess, new president to Houen Corp., a subject to a client who's apparently Murakumo's uncle? Why bother treating Ikaruga like a person when she's just a means to an end?"

Ikaruga gasped as Yomi proceeded to slap her. "Snap out of it!" a brief moment of silence followed before Yomi started again, staring her old friend in the eyes, "I haven't met many people who can make a friend out of an enemy. Especially enemies who've wronged them so much in the past. And I'm sure I can speak for Murakumo too! You've endured so much injustice and shown much strength despite that! You can't give up now, Ikaruga!"

With tears forming in Ikaruga's eyes, Yomi hugged Ikaruga warmly, rubbing her back with a gentle hand. "Your Hanzo friends are here too! They're relying on you not to give up and so am I!" Yomi gave Ikaruga a gentle smile.

"You're… you're right. Thank you, Yomi." Ikaruga gulped, a very short grin forming.

Yomi's smiled widened, "Now, let's wipe those tears and see if we can't undo these ropes of yours."

"Hold it!" A dizzy Murasame got to his feet, dusting himself off. "Just who do you think you are, barging in here like, like… aaaahhh. An angel." Murasame began to stutter a bit, his heart pounding and a tone of red forming across his face. Yomi tilted her head, raising an eyebrow, and asking Ikaruga who he was.

"He's my um… step-brother." Ikaruga muttered.

Murasame straightened his collar. "I must say, that's quite a big sword for such a little angel. Should you need help carrying it, you have but to ask. Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

Yomi's passive-aggressive smile returned with a giggle, "Why don't you come over here and I'll show you just how well I can handle it."

"Ohooo, dangerous. I like em' that way. You know, danger's in my name. I didn't catch yours, by the way." Murasame gave a light smirk towards Yomi. Ikaruga's gaping mouth accompanied pupil-less, cartoony eyes as she looked back and forth between her renegade friend and her brother. _Is he… flirting with her? _

Yomi picked up her blade. "I am Yomi. And I sacrifice myself to the will of our dance."

"I'm Murasame. Help the weak and fight the strong." Murasame twirled the ball end of his chain around.

"I see, danger isn't in your name. I should let you know, Murasame, that I don't date liars, so you're outta luck." Yomi said.

"Who's to say I was lying, miss Yomi? Now, like you said. Let's dance." Murasame gave a smirk of confidence, readying into a battle stance.

* * *

Almost in sync, Murasame and Yomi stepped forward with one hand to the sky, simultaneously exclaiming, "Shinobi Kekkai!" With each trying to gain a potential advantage over another, the result was a weird combination of a worn-down neighborhood and rustic fighting dojo.

With her hands still bound, Ikaruga found a large punching bag falling on her until it bent her over the counter of an old food stall, rendering her immobile. "ACK! Yomi!"

"Ah! Sorry, Ikaruga! At least you have prime seating for the performance." Yomi sweardropped sheepishly, looking back at Ikaruga.

"Thanks a lot! Can't you at least get this punching bag off me?!" With pouty lips, Ikaruga wiggled her butt, trying to move the punching bag, but to no avail.

"Sorry! I'll get you unstuck afterwards!" Yomi replied, leaving Ikaruga in her spot. Yomi fired several rounds from her crossbow, forcing Murasame to leap back behind a tent and several training dummies. From behind the shredded tent and impaled dummies, Murasame's chain flew out, latching onto Yomi as he shouted, 'Hook Combo!'

Yomi grabbed onto the chain, yanking hard and pulling Murasame towards herself. In a moment of awkwardness, the two found themselves face to face with a light blush. "Oh my." Yomi said wide-eyed, but quickly shook the feeling away, aiming to gain an advantage on Murasame. But her hands met his, the two pushing back against one another.

"You are her brother, are you not? Why choose a harsh life of crime when you had a cozy and luxurious living?!" Yomi's glare shot back against Murasame's.

"Because what is cozy when it teaches you nothing?" Murasame grunted, trying to twist Yomi off balance, their locked hands moving one way, then the other as though they were dance partners. "Luxury is lazy. Coziness is weakness!" Murasame saw an opportunity, throwing Yomi's hands up and unravelling her from the chains only to dip her in his arms, his tone weaseling from aggressive to smooth. "But struggle is growth. And pain… is strength."

"Eh?! W-well, you're not entirely wrong there, I suppose." Yomi felt herself getting red in the face, looking away from Murasame.

"YOMI!" Annoyance steamed from Ikaruga's ears.

Yomi's face went serious once more, pulling Murasame down in an attempt to piledrive him. Murasame rolled onto his back, trying to kick Yomi off, but she quickly performed a leaping handstand, her dress flying up for just a second, revealing a pair of white panties which Murasame couldn't see. _Damn. Too bad I was on the ground for that. _He thought. _Get ahold of yourself, Murasame! You're supposed to be fighting!_

Yomi quickly turned around; her sword enveloped by a green glow as it grew. "Secret Ninja Art, Sigmund!" Murasame rolled over a couple of times, just missing the blade before jumping up and tossing the weighted end of his chain around Yomi's sword arm, yanking her down before retracting it. "And here I took you for a gentleman." Yomi grunted, getting on her knees.

"It was never my style. I'm more of a bad boy. Besides, being a good shinobi is overrated." Murasame tried to bind Yomi's arms again, but missed, as Yomi once more grabbed his chain, pulling him down, unintentionally onto her. Once more the two found themselves in uncomfortable facial proximity. Red in the face, Murasame chuckled. "With how much you keep doing that, I'd say you're quite the bad girl yourself."

Yomi flipped Murasame over on his back, where her hand ran against his hard pecs. "Mm, you mean like this, Murasame?" Yomi's eyes then widened, blushing and pointing her crossbow at Murasame's face. "I-I didn't mean to say that! I meant to say, does it not bother you that your friends are treating your sister like so?"

"Why should it? She ruined my chance to be a good shinobi!" Murasame brought his sickle around in an attempt to get Yomi off him, forcing her crossbow arm to block his attack. With a smirk, he turned the tables and them both over, pinning Yomi's wrists down above her head, preventing her from aiming. "And that, Yomi, did me dirty."

Yomi looked away from Murasame, equal parts embarrassed and sympathetic. "I… used to think the same. That because of her, my family died in poverty. I sought misguided revenge… and it consumed me." Murasame looked down at her with a curious look of affinity. "But I was wrong. And perhaps you were too!"

Murasame quickly leapt off and away from Yomi as she nearly brought her knee into his sack. "Pretty dirty trying to strike a man in the shinoballs."

"Well it's like you said, being a good shinobi's overrated." Yomi giggled, but then looked back at a salty Ikaruga. "I-I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that! Different walks of life for all folks, ya know?"

Yomi grabbed her sword, rushing forward but soon ducked behind an old shed, then rolling behind a hedge of bushes as Murasame's chains swung wide arcs, keeping her at a distance. "That sword, Hien, was my birthright, Yomi. And because I was weak, father tried to replace me by adopting HER!"

Murasame's sickle end got caught in a post, Yomi then seized the opportunity. Running over to a heavy bicycle, she swung her leg up high, kicking the bike into the air and slicing it in half, using her blade to bat the pieces at Murasame. "Did you EVER CONSIDER HOW SHE FELT IN ALL THIS?!"

As he dodged, Yomi rushed in close, swinging her giant blade left and right, pushing Murasame back. Yomi knocked down a wooden basketball hoop, prompting Murasame to kick the falling backboard at her, to which she slashed it down the middle. Murasame began swinging his chain once more. "I suppose I didn't! Of course, I suppose I didn't consider a lot of things, back then."

"So, if you didn't think things through, why is it her fault? And why does that birthright matter now?" Yomi used her sword to block a couple of chain strikes before she lunged forward at Murasame, forcing him to jump aside.

"I… suppose it wasn't her fault that father chose her over me." Murasame said as they continued their fight, battling their way towards wooden bleachers. Striking at the bleachers, Yomi's sword got caught between slashed wood, allowing Murasame to gain some distance, but instead of striking at her, he stopped. "Maybe… it was my own fault… Kenshi would've slapped the old me upside the head and told me to take responsibility. He's like the father I wish I had."

"Oooh, but he is like your father now, I'm sure. After all, family isn't always bound in blood. So, tell me again, Murasame. Does that birthright really matter?" Yomi, unsticking her sword, took a step closer, but kept her distance.

Murasame stopped and pulled out Hien, running his hand across its sheath, Kenshi's words echoing in his head. "You're starting to sound like my Oyabun. Maybe he was right. What is a birthright anyways?"

Yomi took another step closer, "I hated the circumstances of my own life and projected it onto Ikaruga. But once I got past my blind hatred, I realized that blood and birth does not make a person, but that person themselves." Murasame gave Yomi a glance before looking down at Hien again. Walking over to where Ikaruga was stuck, he placed the sword on the counter in front of her, much to her surprise.

"Take it. I don't need it anymore. And maybe… I never needed it in the first place." Awkward silence followed as Ikaruga's eyes looked away from him. Murasame sighed, "I… know it might take a while for both of us. And I understand if you won't want to. But maybe one day we can amend this, Ikaruga."

Ikaruga looked up at Murasame just for a second before turning away once more, "I… I don't know. I need time."

"I understand. Now, I have a fight to resume and a client to deliver to!" Ikaruga's eyes widened as Murasame's words forced a shocked 'WHAT?!' from her mouth. "It's like Yomi said, my family is here. And I can't let them down. Nothing personal, little sister."

"MURASAME, YOU TWAT!" Ikaruga steamed through sharp teeth and angry, white eyes.

"Aw, that level of loyalty is so admirable." Yomi smiled, "Wait, no! I won't let you take Ikaruga!"

"Then shall we finish our dance, miss Yomi?" Murasame gave a light smirk while swinging his chain, ignoring a very pissed Ikaruga's ramblings.

"Yes, let's." Yomi smiled, picking up her sword, the two resuming their intense fight. "Why do you all wear such fancy suits and yet your outfit is so ragged, Murasame?" Yomi said, swinging her sword down hard.

Murasame dodged, swinging his sickle outward, "Even evil shinobi gotta look nice sometimes. It's the Gokudō way. But I prefer to keep things simple. Too many trinkets and it takes away from the story my suit has to tell."

"No way! I also prefer not to indulge myself in fancy things!" Yomi exclaimed, knocking away Murasame's sickle with her blade. Though the two continued trading shots and blows, their brawl slowly devolved into a more stagnant game of turn-taking as they conversed together, much to Ikaruga's annoyance.

"Really? You look the girl who'd be a blast at karaoke night." Mursame struck, Yomi dodged.

"Oh no, I could never. It's best we reserve money only for that which we need." Yomi struck back, Murasame dodged.

"But we all need time off one way or another. Besides, it's not that pricey. Why don't we try karaoke one night?" Murasame repeated the process.

"I don't know about that, Murasame. I don't know if I can sing well." Yomi shot a small cannon ball at Murasame when the shell of a blue-eyed, dark green turtle parried it. "Aaawww, you have a turtle! He's cute."

"Isn't he?" Murasame smiled, turning to the turtle and scratching it's chin. "Aren't you, Kamera? You're my cute wittle guardian angel, yes you are."

"Is it okay if I pet him?" Yomi walked forward, to which Murasame allowed. Kamera closed its glowing blue eyes, smiling as Yomi knelt down, petting it. "I know they say you shouldn't feed spirit animals, but sometimes I can't help myself. Do you ever feed him anything?"

"Whatever we have around. He's not picky. Cookies, eggs, rice balls, bean sprouts."

Yomi's eyes lit up widely at Murasame, her vocal chords trembling with arousal. "I LoVe BeAn SpRoUtS."

"They especially go great with curry." Murasame smiled widely.

"MORE THAN THAT!" Yomi declared, standing up. "Beansprouts go good with ramen, oyakudon, sushi, pocky, chocolate! There's nothing they don't go well with!"

Murasame took a step closer to Yomi, his eyes widening. "I feel the same way about curry!"

"I should totally make curry sprouts for your turtle and see how he likes it, Murasame! No, better yet. I'll make you both curry sprouts!" Yomi smiled widely, not realizing she had taken a step closer to Murasame.

"Now, now. I know my way around the kitchen. I'll mix the curry. You prepare the sprouts…" Murasame grabbed Yomi's hands.

"…And we'll both make curry sprouts together!" Yomi smiled widely before turning to a wide-eyed Kamera. "How does that sound, little guy?"

"HEEYYY!" the flustered voice of Ikaruga boomed across the kekkai, scaring Murasame's turtle away into the aethereal plain. "You're supposed to be fighting, not going gaga over each other! What kind of shinobis are you!? Now Finish and GET ME OUT ALREADY!"

Yomi let out a sigh, placing her hands against Murasame's chest, looking into his eyes. "Murasame. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

Murasame began staring back at her, "Whatever for, miss Yomi?"

In one smooth motion, Yomi sent her fist hard into Murasame's stomach, knocking him out. "I'll wake you up later, promise!" Yomi smiled, waving as Murasame hit the ground, to which the kekkai began to slowly disappear.


	35. Hyperdimension Kagura: Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Of Pain and Resolution

Homura stood across from several ninja scrolls, sealed within glass containers, an eerie bright blue glow emitting from them. "Just what is this Gokudō doing? There's no way this many scrolls exist. And what is their purpose?"

The sound of the creaking door behind her got Homura's attention, with three Gokudo shinobi walking in. Two of them holding 17-inch (43 Centimeter) hunting knives, the other held a semi-automatic Sp5. "Don't even think about it, girl!" the grunt with the gun spoke.

Homura slowly turned around, "Think about… what? I'm kinda lost here, fellows."

"Don't play dumb! Now step away from the scrolls!" the gun grunt motioned with his weapon for her to come forward.

Homura smiled, trying to sound innocent. "Aw, can't you help a girl out? I'm just lost. See? No harm intended." Homura put her blades into her sheaths as she fluttered her eyes at the Gokudō boy.

The gun grunt reinforced his weapon at Homura's head. "Hold right there! You think I'm gonna fall for that? My god, I've seen better approaches from NEETs."

Homura let out a seemingly sad sigh before completely shifting her tone, "Yeah, you're right." Grabbing onto the grunt's weapon, she twisted his arm, making him fire into the grunt left from the two. The last grunt tried to stab Homura, but in a swift motion, she pulled the gun grunt around in front of her, making his ally stab him instead. Prying the gun from the grunt's hands, Homura now aimed it at the remaining Gokudō boy, who raised his hands.

"What do these things do? Where did you get them!?" Homura demanded.

"They are for our prison cells! Helps keep the more dangerous ones like ninjas and other things in. I don't know where we got them! Only the elites know! Wait… what are you doing!?" Homura watched the grunt's eyes widen as she aimed the Sp5 at the scrolls. "NO!" the grunt lunged at Homura, but she quickly fired a shot at him before turning the gun back towards the scrolls. Glass shattered and the scrolls let out a disturbing wailing noise before the blue energy dissipated.

The coughing, bleeding grunt moaned and squirmed on the ground, "You stupid girl! You don't know what you've done!"

"What? Let all your prisoners escape?" Homura looked back at the grunt, her hands on her hips as a slow alarm went off.

"Not just that! You let the creature escape! Just… please end my misery!" the grunt coughed. Homura insisted to know what he was talking about. "I don't know, it's half machine, half organic, it'll kill everything in sight!" the grunt coughed up more blood.

"May you find peace." Homura took one more shot, this time at the grunt's head. As he stopped making noise, Homura threw aside the gun, grabbing one of the destroyed scrolls, walking out, and staring at the tattered scroll. _These are fake. A true Super Secret Scroll wouldn't get destroyed so easily. And a creature. Just what have these Gokudō gotten into?_

Going up a flight of stairs, Homura ran into another group of Gokudo shinobi, who pointed all manner of swords, guns, and throwing blades her direction, one of them even holding a crossbow. "Careful, fellas. You're gonna hurt someone with those." Homura said casually.

"Don't take another step! We're warning you!" one of the grunts' voices quaked as Homura noticed his weapon arm shaking. Slow footsteps echoed down the hall coming from behind the grunts.

"That's no way to treat a lady, boys. Did you not learn anything from Gokudō?" A man with a black suit and an slightly unbuttoned red dress shirt approached. His cape matched his suit, being black on the outside and red on the inside. "Let me show you how to handle a girl like a gentlem-…" As the man walked forward, he stopped suddenly.

Homura squinted her eyes as an air of familiarity came from the man. "You boys take the exit from the east wing down to floor 1. I'll handle this alone."

"Are you certain, sir?" one grunt asked.

"I must handle this alone. Now go." As the boys left, Homura overheard one of them saying 'luck guide you, Komichi.' Just then, the man removed his glasses. A chill filled the room as a heavy pressure caused Homura's heart to pump harder as she realized who it was.

* * *

Suzuki awoke to a bright light and the voices of his fellow Gokudō boys and shinobi nurses. As he looked around, first aid cabinets and a trima machine caught his eyes. "The medic room?" Suzuki rubbed his head.

"Suzuki! You're alright!" One grunt said.

"I'll say. He's making a girlfriend out of the enemy shinobi." The other laughed.

"What?! I don't know what you're talking about!" Suzuki raised an eyebrow.

"That Hanzo shinobi, Asuka. She carried you till she found us. Insisted that you needed immediate medical attention. She wasn't wrong, either." The grunt replied. Suzuki asked why they didn't pursue her. "You're more important to us, Suzuki. Some of us wouldn't be at this academy without you. We told her we'd look the other way just this once for your sake."

Suzuki looked down at his bandaged side, muttering Asuka's name. "Oh! Before she went… she wanted you to have this when you woke up." The other grunt motioned to the nurse, who handed Suzuki a note, reading;

_I'm sorry I couldn't stick around, but once this is all said and done, meet me in Murayama park in Kyoto that we may talk. I may know who your sister is._

_-sincerely, Asuka_

* * *

Dreaded disgust punctured Homura's chest, carving a resentful grimace on her face. "You."

Komichi tried looking Homura in the eyes, but they were like two ends of the same magnet. "Homura. I… was not anticipating this whatsoever. I… don't know where to begin. All I know is that 'sorry' will not make up for what happened."

Homura's entire body was shaking, her breathing seethed through gritted teeth, as though trying to hold back a wave of painful memories that came like a raging tsunami in the form of Komichi's presence. Her emotions began to boil, nearly bringing stinging warm tears to the surface of her eyes.

Immediately drawing all six blades, Homura screamed in rage, lunging at Komichi, who raised his brass knuckle gauntlets up in defense. The clang of her swords against his arms rang a bitter noise in his ears.

"Yeah, I agree." Homura growled. "the only thing that will make up for it is me finishing what you STARTED A LONG TIME AGO!" One arm after the other, Homura struck heavily at Komichi, forcing him to defend himself. Despite his defense, small cuts appeared on Komichi's arms and sides as his sleeves shredded and his lower jacket and cape tore, revealing the tattoo of a phoenix on his toned arm.

"FIGHT BACK!" Homura demanded, before her voice angrily dripped the words she always told Komichi long ago. "I want to show you what I've learned, SENSEI!"

Komichi leaned backwards, just dodging a six clawed swipe from Homura, before blocking one set of her blades and attempting to punch her with the other, but Homura easily blocked. Homura's flaring green eyes caught Komichi's downtrodden silver eyes, her own rage only causing more grief. "Well done… Homura."

Homura yelled again, kicking Komichi away, A red burning energy immediately enveloping her, she flew like a drill at Komichi, who leapt aside. "The six clawed form. You've really done it."

"NO THANKS TO YOU!" Homura turned around quickly before rushing at Komichi, her blades igniting with fire. "Secret Ninja Art: RESONATE!" Komichi was forced to fall back, Homura's crimson blades nearly shaving his life away as more of his suit became tattered.

Komichi continued on the defensive, leaping away as Homura slashed up a wooden beam. "WHY SO HESITANT, SENSEI!? Come at me with ALL YOU HAAAVE! Charge at me! LIKE THIS!" unable to catch Komichi in a direct strike, Homura unleashed her ninja art, slashing and dashing all across the room.

Komichi was sent flying, only the upper half of his red dress shirt remaining, revealing a larger phoenix tattoo which decorated his abs. As he hit the wall, he fell onto an end table with a vase. Groaning, Komichi got to his feet, "I hesitate… Because I've already hurt you enough."

"Liar… you LIAR!" Homura leapt forward, forcing her blades against Komichi's knuckle gauntlets once more, pushing hard against them. "You told me that day… that after the THINGS WE SHARED! THE THINGS WE DID TOGETHER… That you never cared about ANY OF IT!"

Komichi yelled, pushing Homura back as he got to his feet. "YES! I said those things. I said them to make my job easier! They told me not to get attached to the target. That you were just… a means to an end."

"And you expect me to believe that?!" Homura glared.

"I suppose not." Komichi's head dropped.

"Even if what you say is true. That only makes you worse. How can anyone trust someone who can't even trust themselves!?" Homura rushed once more at Komichi but was taken aback when Komichi shot three kunai from a small arm cannon.

"So, you do have some fight in you after all." Homura regained composure but Komichi said nothing, only keeping his eyes focused on his former student. "But I don't believe you one bit! In fact, I've no problems killing you, sensei. However, if there is any amount of truth in you…"

"Let it ring out in the fires of combat!" Homura and Komichi both said simultaneously.

Komichi raised his fists, "I am Komichi. Help the weak and fight the strong."

"I'm Homura. I sacrifice myself to the will of our dance." Homura glared at her former teacher. "Let us finish what was never resolved, Komichi."

"Ladies first." Komichi grunted, still a little hesitant. Homura rushed at him with another spinning drill strike. "Secret Ninja Art... Ballistic Barrage." Komichi aimed both arm cannons, firing off several rounds of kunai, including flaming, electrical, and exploding variants.

Homura was forced to divert from her path as she dove behind a small bar, covering her face from the flying shards of glass bottles and cups. Homura peeked her head up, only to quickly duck again as Komichi shot a couple more kunai her direction, which stuck into the wood of the bar. Grabbing a couple, she swiftly threw them back at Komichi, who sidestepped around a corner.

Homura jumped over the counter, rushing towards the corner when Komichi's knuckle-gauntlets met her blades, Homura's flare clashed against a hesitant resolve, which she could detect from Komichi. "Defensive fists and ranged weapons aren't your style, sensei."

"Let's just say… I tend to keep my distance."

"Why? Afraid you'll get beaten by a kid again?!"

Homura's left most katana almost sliced him when Komichi ducked under and to the side, letting Homura slide into the wall. "Don't talk as if you know me, Homura!"

"You're right! Because if I knew Komichi Sensei then I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN BETRAYED, WOULD I!?" Simultaneously, Komichi leaned under a thrust from Homura while at the same time, Homura knocked away his arm, which tried to shoot another set of kunai.

"You knew more of me than I was supposed to let on, Homura!" a swift chop to the wrist, and Komichi sent two of Homura's three blades out of her left hand, to which she responded with a spinning swing of her other swords, baiting Komichi into a duck before kneeing him in the stomach.

"WHICH PARTS, KOMICHI!? TELL ME WHICH PARTS!" Now with two swords in each hand, Homura came at Komichi again, forcing him to raise his gauntlets in defense as she sliced into one of his arm cannons, damaging it.

"You really think an adolescent student could beat a young teacher unless that teacher had some sort of repression!?" Homura gasped as Komichi then began pushing back against her. "I HESITATED ON THE TASK BEFORE ME! When I said that I never cared about us, in the back of my head, I couldn't believe what I had said!"

"Bullshitting liar!" Homura yelled.

"LISTEN TO ME!" painful anger spilled from both parties, their eyes like a furious glare of old, reopened wounds. "Not a week's gone by where that day hasn't haunted me! I know it'll never be enough! But I'm sorry, Homura!" Komichi's voice trembled as his tone dropped to a near whisper. "I'm sorry."

Enraged tears leaked from Homura's eyes, a red aura forming around her. In a scream that shook the room, Homura's brown hair turned a bright shade of red and an explosive energy burst fourth from her, sending Komichi flying.

* * *

The tight squeeze of rope around his wrists were the first thing Murasame felt as he regained consciousness but opened his eyes to see Yomi smiling down at him. "Well… I must have died and went to heaven, because you look exactly like that angel I just fought."

Yomi giggled, remarking on his humor, to which Murasame asked why she roped him. "I do apologize, Murasame. But it was the only way I could ensure that I had defeated you without completely beating you to a pulp. Unless of course you'd rather we continue our rumble."

"Maybe some other time. For now, this is fine." Murasame smiled back at Yomi but then sweatdropped, "Although. Don't tell me you're one of those dominatrix types."

"Oh no, but my friend Haruka is. I'm sure she'd find an interest in you the way you swing that chain." Yomi grinned, to which Murasame chuckled lightly. His chuckle faded as he noticed Ikaruga watching the two from a distance. "I guess… I owe you an apology, little sister. I know it won't make up for all that's happened and all I've done… running away, causing business upheaval and missing father's funeral… So, I understand if you hate me."

Ikaruga seemed to hesitate, her head swaying from side to side as though looking around for an answer. "I guess if I can say one thing… it's good to see you smile for once. You always were kind of broody." Ikaruga said with a short smile.

As Yomi helped Murasame up, a nervous laugh of agreement came forth from him. Suddenly an explosion from the side of the Gokudo Academy building occurred. "Oh no! the others!" Murasame shouted. With hands still bound, he proceeded to run towards the building, shouldering his way through the door, despite Yomi's cries to stop. Yomi then proceeded to follow, with Ikaruga shortly behind.

* * *

Leaving only a single shoe and the calves of his pants, and torn boxers, Komichi's strapping figure put a dent into the wooden wall. His right arm cannon damaged as his knuckle-gauntlets came undone from his arms. Fully exposed, Homura could see the full artistry of the phoenix tattoo, the golden bird almost flying gloriously, if not for the chains on its legs, bound by the form of a red serpent.

Komichi crumped to the ground, his robust glutes sticking up in the air. Homura, alight with crimson energy, panted. Slowly walking forward with her Nodachi blade out, she watched as Komichi struggled to get up, trying to look her in the eyes. "That day… cause more pain than just betrayal, Homura. I lost my status as a ninja. Lost my home. And when my poor sister, who didn't deserve any of it, lost hers along with me… she set out to avenge her stupid brother… to reclaim what we lost… thinking that taking you down would fix things." Komichi then forced himself to his knees. "And eventually… I lost her too." Covering his eyes, Homura could make out the sounds of light sobbing.

"I guess life wasn't easy on you either after that. My parents disowned me for merely defending myself, and for a while, I was an emotional wreck. I am sorry about Tsujumi, but it's not like I don't think you didn't deserve some of what happened."

"I deserved it all and more. If I had been a stronger shinobi… no, a stronger person… none of this would have happened. I'd still have my sister, my life, maybe even my student. I've tried to mend things over time, caring for people like these boys who never had a life. You know why we became 'evil' shinobi? Because society rejected us, and we saw an opportunity."

Sympathy clustered on Homura's face as Komichi's words reminisced of her old self. Quickly flustered, she shook the feeling away, "You think telling me this is gonna get me to spare you?"

Komichi was silent for a moment. "No… In fact, maybe this is the only way I'll be rid of this guilt. To right my wrongs. I only ask that you grant me a swift, clean death. Though perhaps that is too self-seeking of me." Homura's eyes widened at Komichi's words, to which she slowly raised her sword. But as her former teacher's sorrowful, grey eyes peered into hers, she found it more difficult to deliver him redemption. "DO IT, HOMURA! I'm the man who screwed up your life, don't you remember!? I LIED AND BACKSTABBED YOU, ARE YOU GONNA LET ME GET AWAY WITH THAT!?" Komichi's eyes poured forth a river of anguish. "Please. Make me proud, my student."

Homura's hands shook, a few enraged tears squeezing from her own eyes as she tried fighting her own hesitation. With quivering arms, she raised her blade above her head when a voice cried out "KOMICHI!" with bound hands, Murasame leapt in front of Komichi, keeping his balance.

"Who the hell are you?!" Homura exclaimed, when Yomi and Ikaruga quickly ran into the room, the former calling out to her Crimson friend. "Yomi?! And you have Ikaruga?"

"What are you doing here, my brother?!" Komichi asked.

"I should ask the same of you, my brother. Look at you! On your knees ready for the chopping block? That's not the Komichi I know." Murasame glared back at him.

"I can't, Murasame… I've tried my hardest for those around me, but I'll never be free of those I lost. Only death can give me ultimate peace."

Murasame raised his voice, teeth gritted, "What is WRONG WITH YOU!? I never knew the Komichi of the past and I don't need to cause that Komichi doesn't matter! Call me a hypocrite since it took me this long to let go, but people in my life slowly helped me realize that none of that matters when we're here in the NOW!" Yomi and even Ikaruga gave a slight smile at Murasame's words. "How can you help the weak and fight the strong if you're conforming to the very societal ideas of not letting go that we oppose!?" Murasame then turned to Homura. "I don't know who you are, but I am Murasame of Gokudo Academy! And if you're going to kill my brother in arms, you'll have to kill me too."

Homura growled, frustration at her own ever-strengthening hesitation, her sword, Engetsuka, clearly shaking in her grasp. Yomi and Ikaruga both cried out for her to stop. "Ikaruga… Yomi… behind this guy is the man who ruined my life from the beginning!"

Yomi ran forward, gently grabbing Homura's arm. "Let me ask you the same question I asked Murasame! Why does that matter now?!" Yomi continued, but Homura had blocked her out as Asuka's words of earlier echoed in her ears. _"Bloodshed is not always the answer. Would you still disagree even though you stand beside me today cause I refused to kill you?"_

A frustrated growl left Homura's mouth, as she plunged Engetsuka into the wooden floorboards, the crimson glare returning her brunette hair to its original color, Komichi looking up in astonishment. "You're not worth it." Homura stated plainly, beginning to tie up her hair into a ponytail. "I'm still not sure I believe you… Komichi. Nor do I know if I can ever forgive you. But a shinobi has a choice." At this, Homura sheathed Engetsuka and began walking off.

Yomi almost tried to go after her, but Ikaruga placed a hand across Yomi's chest, shaking her head. The room stared on in silence while Homura, slowly fading from their sights, refused to look back, the only noise being the tread of her shoes. One foot in front of the other.


End file.
